H. Patrick Thornton, beloved husband, father and Papa, died on November 24, 2021 in his room at Rogerson House, in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, finally freed from the shackles of Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his wife, Erica Bigelow, his children, Jennifer Watson, and Hugh Thornton, his grandchildren, Clara Watson, Trent Watson, Sebastian Thornton and Owen Thornton, his brother Peter Thornton and his wife, Chick, and their children, Jim, Sue and Kate, and two nephews, Chris and Jon, as well as numerous friends. He was predeceased by his sister Mary, her husband Ray and their daughter Jessica.
Patrick was born in Great Neck, Long Island, NY on July 27, 1941, and grew up there and in West Milford, NJ. He went to the University of Cincinnati as a co-op student, graduating with a B.S. in Industrial Design. He served in the Army and was a nuclear specialist stationed in Turkey. While he was an expert marksman, his proudest moment in the Army was the opening of a school in a village nearby, conceived and built by him and his fellow officers.
After Patrick left the service, he and his then-wife Anne moved to the Boston area, where he became a design consultant at Arthur D. Little, and they became the parents to Jennifer and Hugh. They bought a home in Acton, and lived there throughout their marriage.
After a few years on his own, Patrick met Erica through mutual friends; their connection was immediate. They moved in together after about a year of dating. After intensive work on how they wanted to be together as a couple, they married in March 1996, and made their home in Stow and Hudson, on Lake Boon.
Patrick ran his own design company for 25 years, after which he went on to be a co-founding member of another design company, and later an online audio equipment store, Outlaw Audio. His most iconic design, the Retro Receiver 2150, with its Art Deco feel, has been incredibly popular since it went into production in 2006; the current model is only “new” on the inside – Patrick’s gorgeous design remains intact. During his career, he was a regular contributor to design magazines, and held well over a dozen patents for work he created.
Patrick was a lifelong artist and maker, with an incredible mastery of design principals and materials. His wife Erica would say it was like magic – she would clumsily express an idea of some object she wanted or needed as a tool, and Patrick would say, “Give me a little while,” and then come back with exactly the right tool.
As a young teenager, he built a car with the help of his friend and neighbor, Gil Terhune (who became Patrick’s father-in-law when he married Gil’s daughter Anne). He painted most of his life, concentrating on acrylics as a young man, and painting almost exclusively in watercolor as he got older. He carried handmade paper books with him wherever he went, and often sketched his friends as they sat in conversation. Patrick was a skilled woodworker, and carved sculptural figures, made “green” chairs and other furniture; he studied calligraphy and book-making, and made many works of art for friends. He designed and made whimsical clocks – some as gifts, some sold in the local art store. He took up a long-deferred dream of working with metal in his late 50’s, and spent many an hour happily honing his craft and “banging metal.”
In addition to Patrick’s exploration of, and skill with, the physical world, Patrick was a student of human nature and behavior. He became a certified teacher of the Enneagram in the Oral Tradition, and was generous in giving his time and expertise to others who were working through dilemmas with work, personal relationships and trauma. Patrick had the incredible gift of making those around him feel seen, heard and valued, a gift that will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
A memorial service is planned for December 18th, 2021.