Obituary of Gail Carol Thornton
Gail Carol Thornton, 84, of Little Egg Harbor, NJ, passed away peacefully on May 24, 2023, with her family by her side.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family on Tuesday, May 30th from 4:00 - 7:00pm at Codey & Mackey Funeral Home, Boonton, NJ. A Tribute with Words of Remembrance will be held at 6:30pm. Cremation will be private.
Gail was born and raised in Watchung, NJ and graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1957. She then attended Grace Downs Airline School and became a stewardess for Mohawk Airlines until she married Phil Procini Jr. and started her family in Dunellen, NJ. Gail later became a travel agent and co-owned Triangle Travel in Watchung, and then worked for Florham Park Travel for many years. She married her second husband, Edward Thornton, in 1982 and lived with him in Dunellen before retiring and moving to South Jersey in 1999. There they purchased and renovated their little home on the lagoon where they loved to entertain.
In her free time, Gail enjoyed sailing on their catamaran and with their wonderful boating group, the MFYC. She enjoyed fishing and crabbing, was an avid gardener and took such pride in her colorful yard. Gail was an amazing cook and baker, as well as a talented knitter and crocheter. She loved to play her piano and was an avid bird watcher. Feeding her special white swans who came to her dock every day gave her much joy. Gail loved all her dogs throughout her life and her many grand dogs as well. As a travel agent, she loved to travel and collect treasures from around the world. Above all, Gail loved her family and her friends, and she will be deeply missed by them all.
Predeceased by her parents, Bertram and Margaret Smith; beloved husband, Edward; her daughter, Cheryl Procini; and her stepdaughter, Susan Thornton; she is survived by her devoted daughter, Tracey Bednash and her husband, Lenny, of Towaco, NJ; her stepson, Scott Thornton and his wife, Shannon of Middleburg, FL; her sister, Brenda Griffin; brother-in-law, Steve Thornton and his wife Louise; grandchildren, Trevor and Olivia Bednash; step-grandchildren, Michael Epley, Melissa Corrigan, Emily, Ryan and Josh Thornton, and Amy Mayer; 6 step-great-grandchildren; many loving nieces and nephews - especially Kristin, River and Izabele Papanek; and many cherished friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Gail’s memory to her favorite charities, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center. To share your condolences with the family, please visit CodeyMackeyFH.com.