Cleveland Thornton III
Obituary

Cleveland Thornton III was born on November 28, 1953, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and passed away on February 25, 2026, in Pomona, California.

Cleveland proudly served his country in the United States Air Force for 7 years before going on to a long career as a U.S. Air Traffic Controller, where he worked for 25 years. His dedication and commitment were evident throughout his years of service.

He had a deep passion for flying and spent 25 years as a private pilot, something that brought him great pride and joy. He enjoyed riding his motorcycles, Norton, Goldwing, Harley-Davidsons and took great pride in his 2005 Corvette.

Cleveland was known for having strong views and never hesitated to stand by what he believed. At the same time, he carried a caring nature and valued the people close to him. One of his proudest accomplishments was marrying his wife, Evelyn, and he looked forward to spending the rest of his life with her in the Philippines.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Thornton; her daughters Jinky and EmEm, and grandchildren Jannaica, Kristalyn, Russlle, and Liam; his mother, Mary Frances Thornton; brother, Ronald Timothy Thornton; as well as eleven cousins and a host of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Cleveland Thornton Jr.

Cleveland would want to be remembered as a kind and caring person. Services and memorial will be held privately and separately.