Published in the October 26, 2020 edition.
“Jimmie” Thornell, 64, passed away peacefully with his wife by his side on Oct. 22 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
Born in East Boston on Feb. 27, 1956, he was the son of the late Wallace and Eleanor (O’Brien) Thornell.
Jimmie grew up as an only child but considered many of his cousins as his siblings. He was involved in youth sports at a young age, in which he excelled in both baseball and hockey. One of his greatest memories was playing Little League with his team, the Orioles.
Jimmie was a graduate of St. Dominic Savio Preparatory High School. After graduating, Jimmie started working for New England Telephone, now known as Verizon, where he remained until his retirement from the company in 2007 in a career lasting over 30 years. Many of his colleagues often talked fondly of Jimmie, commenting on his patience and understanding while working through problems at the company.
Throughout his life, Jimmie remained active in organized sports. On Thursday nights, you could usually find Jimmie at the bowling alley, where he was a member of the St. Lazarus/ St. John’s Bowling League. Most recently, Jimmie became a member of Eastie Halfball, where he was able to reconnect with friends from his old stomping ground.
Music also played an important part in Jimmie’s life. He was an avid Beatles fan and could beat anyone is Beatles trivia. He also enjoyed playing music on his guitar, and going to as many concerts as possible, the Rolling Stones being one of his all-time favorites.
Jimmie also enjoyed playing cards on Super Bowl Sunday with his friends and usually came home with most of their money.
Jimmie is survived by his loving wife, Susan (Devereaux) Thornell, with whom he shared 42 years, 37 years of marriage. Jimmie was the most amazing father to his daughter, Jayme. He went to every single dance recital and competition, never missing one throughout her 30 years at the Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center. Jimmie had a great relationship with his son-in-law, Stephen. Together they would talk sports and he would give Stephen great advice on life in general and specifically how to get along with his mother-in-law. He was the proud grandfather of Olivia, Jonathan and Stevie. His granddaughter Olivia was the apple of his eye and could do no wrong. As a baby, Olivia couldn’t say “grandpa” so she referred to him as Bup, and it stuck. His first grandson, Jonathan, shared his love of music and sports with him. He was so happy to learn that his grandson Stevie joined Little League and spent time giving him tips on the sport. Jimmie is also survived by his trusted dog, Buddy.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St, Wakefield, on Wednesday, Oct 28, at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield, on Tuesday, Oct 27, from 4-8 p.m.
Jimmie donated every year to the Progeria Research Foundation in honor of his friend’s son Andrew Cummings. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Progeria Research Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 3453 Peabody, MA 01961.
