| Overall UK Wins: 5 | Overall UK Losses: 1 | Win % 83.3 |
Date of Birth: November 18, 1923
Date of Death: June 25, 2015
Hometown: Advance, MO
Alma Mater: Missouri

For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.

Obituary - Columbia (MO) Daily Tribune (October 7, 2015)

Thornton Jenkins, 1923-2015

Thornton Drum Jenkins, 91, passed away Thursday, June 25, 2015.

A celebration to remember and honor the lives of Thornton and his wife of 69 years, Mickie, will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Country Club of Missouri.

Thornton was born Nov. 18, 1923, in Advance, to Lucy and Boyd Jenkins. He graduated from Advance High School, where he captained the 1941 basketball team, the first Advance team to play in a state championship tournament. He was named to the state all-star team, played trumpet and won dramatic and humorous readings awards.

During high school, Thornton met the love of his life and best friend, the former Mickie Higgins of Lutesville. They were married March 19, 1943, in Columbia.

He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps (U.S. Air Force) in 1942, was commissioned Lieutenant and became a B-29 navigator. He retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserves in 1971.

Thornton received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Missouri in 1948. While at MU, Thornton played basketball for four years and, more briefly, football and baseball.

As a guard/forward, Thornton captained the MU basketball teams in 1947 and 1948, twice won all-conference honors and was named to several all-star teams. He received the 1947 Jack Dempsey Outstanding MU Athlete award. He had the reputation as a tough competitor who seemed to have "a lot of elbows on the court."

Thornton played AAU basketball from 1948 to 1950 as captain for the Denver Chevrolets. He won first-team All-American honors in 1950.

He was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.

As a basketball official from 1950 to 1971, Thornton officiated two NCAA Final Four championships, five NCAA regional tournaments and 10 national junior college championship games. He was president of the Big-Eight Conference Officials Association from 1969-71.

Thornton's professional affiliation with MU included positions as Director of Physical Plant, Director of Purchasing, Director of Purchasing/MU Medical Center, and assistant basketball coach.

In the early 1980s, Thornton began his career in real estate as co-owner/broker of Gaslight Realty and Columbia Re-Max, and later as owner/broker of Jenkins Realty Co. He served as director of the Columbia Board of Realtors, director of Missouri Association of Realtors and as a member of the Columbia Board's Professional Standards Committee. He retained his broker's license and part-time involvement in real estate until a few years ago.

Thornton was an active member of Missouri United Methodist Church and various regional and national professional associations.

He was a past president of Columbia Kiwanis Club and a former member of the Board of Directors for the Country Club of Missouri.

Thornton loved traveling with Mickie and friends; tennis; music, especially jazz; collecting and restoring antiques; golf; and dancing. One of his most treasured awards was the "Best Father-Daughter Dance Team" award earned with his daughter at a college Dad's Weekend.

He always wanted to be remembered for his love and commitment to family, loyalty to his many friends, integrity, a sense of humor and fun, and for being "a pretty decent tennis player."

He is survived by his daughter, Spring Jenkins Walton of Columbia; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mickie (1924-2012); and his son-in-law, Charles Walton (1945-2015).

Memorial contributions can be sent to MDS research, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, 750 E. Pratt St., Suite 1700, Baltimore, Md., 21202.

Online condolences can be left for the family at www.parkerfuneralservice.com.

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