Former Summit Resident Margaret (Peg) Kendal Thornton Dies at 99

Former Summit resident Margaret (Peg) Kendal Thornton passed away peacefully Tuesday, Jan. 14 in Seattle at the age of 99.

Born Oct. 10, 1914, in Summit, Thornton graduated from Kent Place School in Summit, and Smith College where she earned a BA in Art and Literature. Thornton was known for water color paintings as well as her pen and ink drawings of New England landscapes. Additionally, she penned diaries, biographies, poems, philosophical pieces, and spent 50 years writing a book titled One Decade at a Time, which was published when she was 98. During her lifetime, Thornton contributed generously to the communities of Summit, N.J., Dorset, Vt., and New London, N.H.

Thornton is remembered as the loving wife of Fletcher Thornton (deceased 2008 after 71 years of marriage), and mother to Anne Bridges, Wenatchee, Wash. (formerly of Woodstock, Vt.), Susan Starbuck, Seattle, and Barbara Thornton (deceased 1998). Peg’s five grandchildren are Jerry Bridges (wife, Sara and daughter, Maya), Cyndi Bridges (partner, Drew Smith), and Emily, Elinor, and Madeleine Frey. Peg was predeceased by brothers John and Robert Kendal.

A private visitation was held for family at the Columbia Funeral Home in Seattle. A memorial service and burial will be held in New London, N.H. in mid-May, according to Valley News.