Clifford Franklin Thornton

Clifford Franklin Thornton, 69, passed away on November 21, 2021. Cliff was born on December 18, 1951 in Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Ca to Benjamin Franklin Thornton and Verna Rae Bashaw. He was raised in Overton, NV, where his father owned the B & J Club on Main Street. In 1961, his family moved to Las Vegas, where he would cruise the streets of North town. He started working for Carpet Barn at the age of 18, and stuck with them for nearly fifty years as it changed owners, starting as an installer and working his way up to Director of Builder Division. He met Tracey Lynn Whitney, and they were later married in Las Vegas, NV on July 5th, 1975. Tracey was raised by a water ski and speed boat enthusiast and this rubbed off on Cliff, and he developed a love for big engines and going fast. He loved anything with a motor, whether it be cars, speedboats, sand rails, quads, and dirt bikes. As they started having children, they moved back to Overton where he and Tracey built what they call “Palo Verde Ranch”. He loved people and all animals.
Cliff was known for working hard and partying harder. He had the opportunity to bring his children to work to learn the business and pass along his work ethic. Cliff would take his family to the lake to enjoy water ski racing and boating. He loved camping and fishing in Duck Creek, but his favorite place to be was at home on the ranch. He loved having people over and having BBQ’s with his family. He loved his family and supported his kids and grandkids in their activities, whether it be motocross or rodeo. He had a wicked sense of humor and was an expert instigator, and teased the people he liked. He also enjoyed politics, which gave him good material. He was never in a bad mood, and was very charismatic. Cliff was selfless and the best listener, yet there was never a grey area and you knew how he felt. He was quite a sight in his Hawaiian shirts, cowboy boots and mullet. The older he got, the longer the mullet got. His quote was “business in the front, party in the back”.

Cliff is survived but his wife, Tracey Thornton; his children, Brandon (Jennifer) Thornton, Aaron (Stephanie) Thornton, and Ashley (Gabe) Thornton; his four grandchildren, and his sister, Brenda Lee Jaskol.
A viewing will be held on Friday, December 3, 2021 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Moapa Valley Mortuary. A viewing will be held on Saturday, December 4, 2021 9:30-10:00am at the Hinckley Chapel, with Funeral services following at 11:00am., with interment following at the Pioneer Hill Cemetery. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in their guest book at www.moapavalleymortuary.com.