Richard 'Rick' Thorne

IMPERIAL, Mo. — Richard L. “Rick” Thorne, 61, of Imperial, formerly of Jackson, passed away Thursday, May 2, 2019, at his home. He valiantly fought cancer for many months.

Rick was born March 12, 1958, in St. Louis to Jerry L. and Margaret A. Brown Thorne. He and Catherine “Cathy” Robinson were married Dec. 18, 1982, at First Baptist Church in Millersville. Four children were born to their union.

Rick attended school in St. Charles, Missouri, Decatur, Illinois, and Jackson. He served honorably in the U.S. Navy from 1976 to 1980. He attended ITT Tech, graduating with honors in 2004.

Rick was employed 20 years with DST, Computer Express and most recently with National Cash Register, all in St. Louis.

Rick was very dedicated to his entire family and was especially close to his grandchildren. He was a tremendous sports enthusiast, always cheering on his children. He was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues, and enjoyed camping and hiking.

Richard "Rick" Thorne

To cherish his memory, he leaves his wife of 36 years, Cathy Thorne of Imperial; four children, Maria Thorne of O’Fallon, Missouri, Travis Thorne of Imperial, Justin (Jessica) Thorne of Festus, Missouri, and Amber Thorne of Imperial; three siblings, Yvonne (Shane) Garland of Perryville, Missouri, Chris (Shannon) Hardy of Jackson and Steve Thorne of Jackson; 12 grandchildren; 11 aunts and uncles; six nieces and nephews; and several cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two infant brothers; and his grandparents, Herbert and Iva Thorne and Leonard and Orpha Brown.

Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. to service time Wednesday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral will be at noon Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Janet Hopkins officiating. Rick will be honored with military rites at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Morgan Memorial Park Cemetery in Advance, Missouri.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to Vitas Hospice, 1487 U.S. 61, Suite C, Festus, MO 63028; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or Shriners Hospitals for Children, 4400 Clayton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.