Jerry Lee Thornberry, 64, died January 14, 2017after a brief illness arising from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Jerry was a welder by trade and founded Thornberry Brothers with his brother, Barry, and later, Thornberry Welding, and Thornberry Storage. A perfectionist, his work was functional and imaginative. Never backing down from a challenge, he delighted in finding solutions to his customers’ problems. In later years, he began the craft of woodworking and showed exceptional talent before Parkinson’s robbed him of the ability to continue the trade. In his personal life, Jerry was a master storyteller with a quick wit who loved nothing more than sitting with good friends and recalling old times. He had a competitive nature, particularly with card games but even when playing Candy Land. As a big brother to five siblings, he teased and tormented, but always in good fun. After the death of his father, Elmo, he was a surrogate father to his younger sisters who were nearly 2 decades his junior. Jerry was a loving father to his daughters and taught them the virtues of hard work, honesty and integrity. Jerry was born December 15, 1952 in Paris, Kentucky to the late Elmo Thornberry and Margaret Sanders Thornberry. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his four-legged companion, J. R. “Pooch”, the Jack Russell. He is survived by two daughters, Holly (Josh) Lovell and Lucy Ferguson, two grandchildren, Hadley Davis Lovell and Walter Case Lovell, five siblings, Barry (Debbie) Thornberry, David (Karen) Thornberry, Darrel Thornberry, Jane Thornberry, and Joyce Thornberry, a very special cousin, Daniel (Mandy) Thornberry, nieces, Jacqueline Thornberry, KristanThornberry, Shayna Hively, and Amy Thornberry and nephews, Justan Thornberry and Christopher Thornberry. In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Paris Animal Welfare Society. A visitation will be held on Friday, January 20, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and a memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 21, at 11:00 a.m., both at Hinton Turner funeral home in Paris.
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