Perry Ray Thorne Sr.

Perry Ray Thorne Sr. of Mannington was reunited with his brothers in Heaven on January 29, 2025, surrounded by family. Perry was born on to the late William P. Thorne and N. Louise Thorne. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers William (Bill) Thorn, Lewis (Pete) Thorne, and Robert (Bob) Thorne.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Janice M. Thorne. He leaves behind four children: Jeff (Kim) Thorne, Perry (Tammy) Thorne Jr., Nancy Efaw, Lynn Thorne, seven grandchildren: Kristy (Eric) Moore, Brandon (Meagan) Efaw, Amanda (Marc) Simmons, Eric Efaw, Kayla (Ryan) Haddox, Tyler (Lindsey) Thorne, Cole Dunigan, and nine great-grandchildren: Zaraya, Kayson, Ella, Lynlee, Jude, Brie, Logan, Brady, and Harlee. He is also survived by sisters-in-law Gloria Thorne and Ann Thorn, and many nieces and nephews.

Perry worked for General Motors in Cleveland, Ohio for ten years, was a bus driver for the Board of Education for two years, and retired from Equitable Gas, where he worked for 32 years. He was a member and president of The Mannington Pony Pullers Association, a member of the Fox Hunters Association, served on the board of directors of The Mannington District Fair Association for 49 years. The Mannington District Fair was a shared love amongst his family: Perry followed in the footsteps of his dad, uncles, and cousins, served the fair alongside his brother, Bob, and paved the way for his son and grandsons to carry on the Thorne family tradition of working year-round to host the second-largest fair in the state.

Second only to his love for his family, Perry loved farming. He was rarely caught indoors; he and his wife raised livestock, tended gardens, and worked hayfields across the county. He instilled a love of country living into members of his family, all of whom were lucky to have gotten to experience the boundless joys of life spent on the farm.

Perry was an avid hunter, and while he loved the sport, his family believes he loved the camaraderie and time spent with loved ones even more. The days preceding Thanksgiving were always spent at his family’s hunting camp, where tall tales and laughs could be heard late into the night, breakfast followed in the early hours of morning around Janice’s tables, and evening hours were spent reliving the hunts of the day.

Family was the center of Perry’s world. Together, he and Janice created a legacy that is unmatched, instilling morals and values into their children that will stand the test of time. They taught their children the importance of hard work, dedication, honesty, and devotion to family. The generations that have followed proudly uphold these morals and values, and will pass them on for many years to come. Perry could always be found in the bleachers of sporting events, and his voice could always be heard, challenging the referees and umpires who dared to make calls that didn’t favor his grandchildren.

Perry will be fiercely missed by family and friends, but they will always be comforted knowing that he lived his life to the fullest, and deeply cared about the happiness and wellbeing of all who knew him. He helped anyone in need, he dropped what he was doing to come to the rescue of his family members, and there was nothing he couldn’t fix with a hammer. Each member of his family can attest to the fact that they couldn’t go anywhere without someone asking if they related to Perry Thorne.

Friends and family will be received at Master’s Funeral Home in Mannington on Saturday, February 1st from 2:00 p.m, until 8:00 p.m. Services will be held on Sunday, February 2nd at 1:00 p.m. followed by burial at Huey/Thorne Cemetery.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to Amedisys Hospice for their dedicated and caring support.