James "J." Thornton

James Hunter Thornton III, 61, passed away on October 3, 2026, when he was met by Jesus and told, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

After graduating from Barbe High School in 1983, J. attended McNeese State University where he was a proud member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He worked as a deputy with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office during that time, and laughed that when he started working there he was too young to buy his own bullets. It was also at McNeese that J. met Melissa, his partner in crime, his ride-or-die, his best friend, rock, and love.

J. was a man who could build just about anything, and everything he built was "J-ified" -indestructible. He spent his life working hard and working with his hands. He was an inventor, a fabricator, a welder, a heavy equipment operator, and held many certifications from his time working in the plants. He traveled many roads in life, some rocky, some paved. He farmed, had cattle, ran crawfish ponds, planted pine plantations, and collected, built, and sold military trucks. J. was proudest of the company he built, Tri-J Resources. He loved his wench truck, Bossy, that he built himself. He always said, "You'll never work a day in your life if you do what you love." As he put it, he didn't work for a living, he got to play with big trucks. Being dirty, greasy, and a little banged up was simply part of who he was.

Because he was all about good food, good times, and great friends. Camping, hanging at the river, riding buggies, and pulling people out of the bounty hole at MudFest was what he considered ultimate fun. He loved anything with an engine and a little mud. He never did anything halfway, and never met a stranger. His philosophy was simple: If a little is good, then a lot is great...Go big or go home. He was the master of holiday gumbos, crawfish boils, and fish fries (grease fires were just part of the show). He loved bringing people together and gathering them into his world wholeheartedly. J. collected people like he collected rocks-each one was a special treasure.

J. also had a soft side. He was trusting to a fault and would do anything for anyone. He loved to dance, despite only having one dance move and no rhythm, and he loved to karaoke, whether the listeners were willing or not. His signature style, particularly Hawaiian shirts and American flag shorts, was as questionable as his dance moves. When he wasn't outside working, you might catch him in his recliner with a cat on his lap, Bronx by his side, with either James Bond, John Wayne, or a Navy football game on the tv.

His biggest source of pride in life were his girls, and he never missed an opportunity to brag about them. His wife, two daughters, and three little Hooligans were his heart and soul, and he was the ultimate Paw and Girl Power promoter. He jokingly said that Kain was his "favorite" son-in-law, but truly believed there was no better man to share all his girls with. He was also a proud participating member of the Ladies' Sunday School class at Squyres United Methodist Church.

He is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, James H. Thornton Sr. and Bertha Poutra Thornton, father, James H. Thornton Jr., and two aunts, Nancy Thornton Kondert and Kathleen Thornton.

Those left to celebrate J.'s life and cherish his memory include his wife, of 36 "wonderful" years, Melissa Wood Thornton; his two daughters, LCDR Jamison M. Thornton, stationed in Lemoore, CA; Janee' T. (Kain) Hungerford of Ragley, LA, and their three daughters, Evelyn Belaire (7), Estelle Jean (6), and Margaret James (3); his sister, Therese' (Troy) Doucet of Scott, LA; Terrell brothers, and a host of friends and church family.

A celebration of everything J. will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, October 8, 2026. Burial will follow at Squyres-Risinger Memorial Cemetery in Ragley, Louisiana. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, 2026, and 9:00 a.m. until time of service on Thursday. All visitations and funeral will be held at Johnson Funeral Home of Moss Bluff.

Serving as pallbearers are Jimmy Terrell, Barry Terrell, Justin Flores, Bud Singleton, Keith Burnitt, Shane Breaux, Jaime Landry, and Doug Cook.

Serving as honorary pallbearers are Dwayne Bernard and Steve Hebert.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in J.'s memory to the following organizations:

• Squyres United Methodist Church: https://secure.anedot.com/squyres-united-methodist-church/donate

• Cure Alzheimer's Fund: https://curealz.org/giving/donate/