Michael Denis DeArmond Thornton, Jr.

---

“

These Cherubs were his greatest contribution and his highest joy.

Mike, Mick, Mickey. If you knew him in business or friendship or family, he may have a different name than his birth certificate. Born to Marsha Thornton and Michael Denis DeArmond Thornton in Washington DC. His parents named him after his father, whose parents used a name from their family tree that none of us know much about. He was brought up in Montgomery County, MD and lived in NJ for a time. The longest years of his life were aged 29 to 66 in Laurel! So, nearly 40 years a homeowner, he made countless renovations. One small but precious one was a laundry room window with cute, beveled shutters because his wife wanted to watch the children. He remodeled our entire dining room from a garage: raised the floor, built a closet from scratch with folding doors, cut a window out of the wall.  

He was a traveling worker for a while, also one of those classic gas station attendants who wore a uniform and serviced your car. At some point he learned bank lending and worked at Bank of Baltimore. I met him just after he traded his suit and tie for a tool belt and bandana. I met him in his kitchen washing dishes. My friend dated his roommate. He said he liked washing dishes because he didn’t have to think about it.  I still put my dishes in that same sink every day. 

I think he always knew how to build, and repair. Not just a job, but a lifestyle.  He was an old-fashioned gamer—lots of card games with friends and family, and a lot of winning at Scrabble. He played music the loudest, cheered for teams and people the loudest. He only ever wanted a flip phone, and repeatedly said any computer he touched hated him. At 36 years old he first became a father. After some nervous hives, he took that role very well. How proud he must have felt when her first word was Da-da.

Back to banking for a few years, while his second baby girl was born. Next, having a son to pass on his name. These Cherubs were his greatest contribution and his highest joy. He loved to teach them—to use tools, paint, build, repair, install. It’s amazing, the knowledge he gave tripled and lived on in them.

Besides approving loans and carrying sheet rock, Mickey also knew how to cut and arrange flowers and prepare real meals. Each of his kids learned the flower skills, and thought every dad did that. Some of his best cooking, fluffy scrambled eggs, potatoes au gratin and roast brisket are unmatched. He loved to make us egg-Mick-muffins and a big bowl of fresh cut fruit. He was the original mashed potato MASTER. When the mixer broke, he attached the beater to a power drill.

All the kids’ friends called him Dad. He wanted to help every neighbor who needed him. Anywhere there were people, he wanted to make a friend or five. Neighbors asked for help and he gave his expertise, but not a bill. He was way generous with his hard-earned cash. With us, he would put it on top of the refrigerator and say, "Use it."

If there was a job to do, he was eager to get it done and make it right. He always noticed woodwork and framing and anything that had poor craftsmanship. He often said he was building something in his head.

Mick often reminisced about playing sports, wishing he was still able. I know some people have pics of him playing baseball or football. He appreciated the arts too, daily watching films from musicals to romance to vampires. He was fascinated with wine tasting, and wanted so badly to be a singer like the ones on screen and stage.

Mickey knew a lot about history and wars. He watched movies and shows repeatedly if they contained family relationships, or dads sacrificing their lives in war, but he couldn’t tell you about it because his voice would crack too much.

Something deeply pulled at him about that sentiment for family. He often told me he talked to God every day and thanked Him.  I’m told that he expressed it out loud sometimes, that he was in awe and disbelief that he got to be the father of such a family.

“I’m a happy guy,” he would say. He often “hankered” for a cheeseburger, a popsicle, chocolate cake and pudding, and his beloved Oreos. He loved chocolate so much, that’s all he wanted when he quit his vices for 5 years. He went cold turkey on his son’s 5th birthday, so he could add some years to be around for his kids. He laughed when his little son lugged in a heavy plastic grocery bag full of chocolate and said, “I’m glad you quit, Dad!”  

His embrace was full and his laugh was hearty. Since retiring, he ditched the shoes and gave up on socks. His favorite shoe to leave the house with was slippers, but if it was Thanksgiving or a birthday dinner, he dressed in a suit and tie even if no one else was going to.

Mickey appreciated nature, even in the cold winter he would say, “Oh, it’s a nice day. Come on, come out, the sun is shining.” Whenever the moon looked especially lovely, he wanted me to gaze with him. And in Ocean City he started our yearly tradition of getting up to see the sunrise right on the horizon. Had to get the coffee and donuts first.  ~

Mickey is carried on by his sister Melanie and all her Huycke family; many nieces and nephews, wife Eileen and family, children Alexa, Jillian and Michael III. He joins in spirit with oldest sister Michelle and her little Jennifer, and both of his parents.

We will place his urn in the family vault at Gate of Heaven Cemetary in Silver Spring. On this website carewellcremations.com we will put a date and time if you’d like to come, and we intend to gather afterward at family’s house in Baltimore. Please look at the photo gallery here and add your own, sign the guestbook, write your own story or eulogy, and visit again to see if any updates. Thank you all.

Mrs. Eileen Thornton