Michael David Thornton

Michael David Thornton, 63 of Raleigh, died Sunday, August 21, 2016. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at First Baptist Church, 99 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27603, on Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 11:00 AM followed by a reception and family visitation in the church Fellowship Hall. Mike, a native of Greensboro, NC, received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wake Forest University in 1975 and a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1977.  Mike moved to Raleigh in 1978 to begin a distinguished career with State government that included positions with the North Carolina Department of Labor, Division of Health Services, Office of State Personnel and the Department of Public Instruction.  This lifetime of public service culminated with induction into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2007, an honor of which he was very proud.  Mike was a member of First Baptist Church in Raleigh.  He was a long time member of the Kiwanis Club of Raleigh.  He was an avid traveler, baseball fan and loved the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest University. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Rebecca Grissom Thornton, son David Robert Thornton and daughter Hannah Elise Thornton of Raleigh, mother Jeanette Hord Thornton of Raleigh, brother Kenneth Dean Thornton of Greensboro, and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church, 99 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC  27603.