Howard Donald Thornett Jr.

Howard Donald Thornett, Jr. passed away March 30, 2024, in Fairfax, Virginia. 

He grew up in McLean Virginia and was a graduate of McLean High School.  He was also a ROTC graduate from Virginia Tech.  He was a proud member of "H" company at VA Tech, and graduated with an Animal Sciences degree.  After graduating, he joined the Army and was stationed in Korea before moving to Camp AP Hill with his wife Joyce.  After leaving the army, he and Joyce moved to McLean and then Fairfax to raise a family.  He worked for Litton Bionetics/Hazleton/Covance as a Facilities Manager and later as the Director of Operations.  He stayed at the lab for over 40 years before retiring.  He loved fishing, especially on the Shenandoah River and at the Outer Banks.  He also loved seafood and was known to spend three hours straight eating at the Chesapeake Bay Seafood House.  He loved taking trips to Charleston (sometimes by way of a very long detour) to eat at his favorite restaurant A.W. Shucks.  He could often be found with a cat in his lap or feeding them treats.  He was certainly a generous, unforgettable man that was well loved and will be missed. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Susie Thornett, and his wife Joyce Thornett.

He is survived by his three sisters, Kathryn Holder and husband Joe, Mary Maness, and Sarah Thornett; his three children, Julie Sanders and husband Rob, Eric Thornett, and Amy Schiefer and husband Josh; and his two grandchildren Abigail and Mikayla Sanders.

A Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 3:00 P.M. at Dellinger Funeral Homes, Woodstock.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society. 

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