Lois Jerilyn Thornton

Mrs. Lois Jerilyn (Burns) Thornton died peacefully in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, on April 19, 2022, at the age of 80 years old.

Jerilyn is survived by her loving husband Carl A. Thornton of Corrales, New Mexico; daughter, Jennie Lois Thornton of Corrales, NM; son, C. Adam Thornton and his wife, Tammy Thornton of Corrales, NM; brother, Dennis Burns of Santa Fe, NM; grandchildren, Josephine Lois Dean, Brody Dean, Carson Thornton, Chase Thornton, and Caroline Thornton.
Jerilyn was born on Thursday, November 27, 1941, in Fort Worth, Texas, to C. E. and Lois Josephine (Davis) Burns. She graduated from Alamogordo High School in 1960. Lois received her BA in Education from Eastern New Mexico University in 1964. She received her master’s degree from University of Phoenix in Organizational Management in 2005. Jerilyn married her husband of 58 years, Carl A. Thornton on Sunday, June 14, 1964, in Carrizozo, NM. 

Jerilyn was a public-school teacher from 1964-1983. Later that year she would be employed with Los Alamos National Laboratory, retiring in 2007. Special accomplishments of Jerilyn's include creating a still thriving D.E.C.A program at Los Alamos High School and creating successful LANL Training Programs. Special interests of hers included gardening, singing, dancing, and playing with her grandchildren. Jerilyn was an active and dedicated member in the Chi Omega Sorority. 

“The heart that is generous and kind most resembles God.”
– Robert Burns

“To see her is to love her,
And love but her forever;
For nature made her what she is,
And never made another!” 
– Robert Burns
‘Bonnie Lesley’

To honor Jerilyn's memory memorial contributions can be made to The University of New Mexico Memory and Aging Center (UNM-MAC). 

Services will be held at Daniels Family Funeral Services – Sara Chapel on Thursday, May 19th, 2022, Visitation will begin at 9:00AM, and a Memorial Service to follow at 10:00AM.