Services will be Feb. 21st for Wayne Thornton who passed away at his home on Jan. 14th. He was 95 years old.

A proud Santa Cruz native Wayne was the youngest of 5 children of Jim & Veryl Thornton. A close-knit family from start to finish, Wayne is predeceased by all his siblings.

A 1948 graduate of Santa Cruz High School, Wayne enjoyed several sports, but he could be found most often at the beach. In 1957 Wayne married Marie Bandini, also a beach loving Santa Cruz native from a large family. The Seabright neighborhood became their permanent home where they raised their two daughters. Wayne, ever a kid at heart, played an active role in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He was always there, always present.

Wayne worked as a surveyor and draftsman for the County of Santa Cruz before retiring in 1992. Over the decades he bowled in several leagues, gardened like a master, made friends wherever he went, and walked many a family dog to the harbor and back. He served on the Board of Directors of the Santa Cruz Old Timers for many years, being named “Old Timer of the Year” in 2006. Wayne was an active member of the Santa Cruz Odd Fellows Lodge for 83 years, joining as a junior member when he was 12 years old. Wayne was a member of the Lodge’s Board of Trustees for 40 years being instrumentally in the growth of the Lodges two cemeteries, Santa Cruz Memorial Park and Oakwood Memorial Park.

Wayne was a passionate fan of the 49ers. As a season ticket holder, he and Marie spent many Sundays at Candlestick Park cheering for the Red and Gold. He was also a fan of the Giants and Warriors. He was very happy he got to see multiple championships from all his teams.

Over the last 20 years Wayne and Marie enjoyed their annual Maui vacations and became recognizable figures on the youth, teen and now adult sports circuit, supporting their youngest grandchild whose athletic skills matched and exceeded their own.

Wayne’s wife of 68 years, Marie, passed away in September. Wayne is survived by daughters Debbie and Jamie, grandchildren Kari, Robert and Michaela, great granddaughters Alayah and Kaylinn.

The family wishes to acknowledge Continuum Hospice for their compassionate care, and to thank Dr’s Morgan Magid, Jay Johnson, Carlos Arcangeli , Alvie Hurray and Andrew Jozwiakowski for keeping Wayne with us for 95 years.

A Celebration of Wayne’s Life will be held on Saturday, February 21st, 1:00 p.m. at Oakwood Memorial Park chapel, 3301 Paul Sweet Road, a reception will follow. All are welcome and encouraged to wear colorful attire.