Glenn Thornberry is breezing through his birthday this year.
“I don’t give it the first thought,” he said.
Thornberry, who turns 104 today, has been a businessman in Clark County for 78 years.
He was born in Elliott County and received a business and banking degree in college in the late 1920s. He was president of the Winchester Country Club as well as being active on the board. He was also in the banking and grocery business in Olive Hill for a few years before he served as president of Kentucky Food Stores and is now president of Thornberry’s Markets, Inc.
“The first store I had was in Winchester. It was down on one of the street corners. Had a little grocery store with my mother and I, and all of the family. We all worked in it,” Thornberry said. He also said his sons now run Save-A-Lot just outside of Richmond.
Thornberry played basketball in high school and is now a great supporter of the University of Kentucky Wildcats.
“How big of a fan am I? As big as I am, and as loud as I can get,” he said. “I follow the Big Blue wherever it goes, and however it goes.”
He was also married to his wife, Pauline Thornberry, for 42 years.
“I was married to one woman. And at the time, I never wanted to be married to another one,” he said with a grin. “I thought so much of her. I didn’t ever want another wife, and she had a disease that took her away. I haven’t been lucky enough to find another one that would have me.”
He also said the secret to a long marriage is loving each other.
“If you treat her right, and you love her, she’ll love you. And you don’t have any problems if you love each other. And this lady, I loved her and she loved me. She was a good wife.
Thornberry also shared his philosophy on the how to live a long, happy life.
“You have to try to eat right and live right,” he said. “You don’t not drink the wrong kind of drinks — you don’t want to do any of that. The healthier your life is, the longer you’ll live.”
He also said he took after his mother in this way he lived his life.
“I wanted to be nice to everybody, and that’s the way I tried to live,” he said. “I didn’t want other people to have bad thoughts of me. I wanted them to like me.”
Thornberry is now a resident at Rose Mary Brooks Place and has been there since the summer of 2012. He celebrated his 104th birthday on Saturday with family and friends gathered in front of the TV for the UK ball game.
Contact Kendall Sparks at ksparks@winchestersun.com.
