Robert Barnes Thornton

Born to Lila Margaret Campbell and Raymond Barnes Thornton in Kansas City, MO, Bob grew up in San Antonio and attended Alamo Heights High School. He was a 4-sport letterman, starring in football, basketball, golf and track. His senior year, the basketball team won the Texas High School Boys State Championship.

Bob went to the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of the Kappa Sig fraternity and married Mary Elizabeth Anderson. After serving in the Army Reserves, he earned a law degree from UT and joined a law firm that became Huson, Clark, Thornton and Summers. In 1977, he co-founded Thornton & Summers in San Antonio. The firm later added offices in Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi and McAllen — and currently operates under the name Thornton, Biechlin, Reynolds and Guerra.

Bob was known as a master in the court room, where he was respected by judges and loved by juries. He was also a master on the course, where his golf prowess earned him many nicknames at Oak Hills Country Club, including “Bobby Three-Wood,” “The Kid” and “Bobby T.” He later joined Horseshoe Bay Country Club and, after regularly shooting his age throughout his seventies and eighties, he became affectionately known as “The Legend.”

But Bob’s real passion was the people in his life. He had 3 children — Sharon, Bobby and Marilyn — all of whom grew up in Alamo Heights and attended Alamo Heights High School. In 1992, Bob married Shirl Breslin and they made a life together at Horseshoe Bay. Over the past 32 years, they enjoyed church, travel, golf, family and friends.

In addition to many friends at Horseshoe Bay, Bob enjoyed spending time with his adult children and Shirl’s son, Mike. He also doted over his 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren who knew him as “Big Bob.”

Bob attended the Church of HSB and was in bible studies and small groups. He loved the Lord and could be heard singing at the top of his lungs in church every Sunday.

He is preceded in death by: His mother, father, and younger brother, David. Bob is survived by his sister Gloria Rogers and his wife of 32 years Shirl A Thornton. He is also survived by his children Sharon Weber (Cliff) of Cuero, Bobby Thornton (Susan) of San Antonio, Marilyn Breedlove (Tom) of New Braunfels and step son, Michael Doyle of Horseshoe Bay, grandchildren Michael Weber (Morgan), Campbell Weber (Erika), Christopher Thornton (Chelsi), Jack Tanner Thornton (Lindsey), Jesse Breedlove (Mia), Julia Breedlove Jones (Joseph), Mac Breedlove (Adrianna), Justin Doyle (Nayely), Tyler Doyle, and Derek Doyle, 14 great grandchildren and his 2 puppies, Sadie and Noel.

Services will be held at the Church of Horseshoe Bay at 10am on Monday December 2nd with a lunch at the church immediately following. Graveside service will be held at Sunset Memorial Park in San Antonio. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either the Church of Horseshoe Bay or the American Cancer Society.