Kaye Dysart Thornton

Kaye Dysart Thornton died peacefully on March 12, 2026 at Harris Hospital Southwest. She has offered her body to Southwestern Medical School with the hope that a cure for neuropathy–with which she was afflicted–will one day be found.

A fourth-generation Texan, Mrs. Thornton was born July 2, 1941, to J. M. and Martha Anna Dysart, both of whom pre-decease her, as do her husbands, Zwingli Joe Thornton and Robert Janzen. She is survived by her family in Richmond, Virginia: Z. Bart Thornton, his wife Kristina Thornton, and her beloved grandchildren, Copeland Agape Thornton and Tristan Townes Thornton. She also had dear friends, many of whom she knew from Arlington Heights High School, North Texas State University, and Texas Christian University. Mrs. Thornton graduated from NTSU with a degree in Journalism. She later earned an M.A. in Counseling from TCU.

In her adult life, Mrs. Thornton was a community leader. She volunteered at CASA and The Infant Formula Program.She was also a Congregational Care Minister at First United Methodist Church, where she was a life-long member. She was the author of a memoir, “The Borrowers Cookbook” that she wrote for her grandchildren. She began her career at TCU as director of Nursing Recruitment and as an Admissions Officer, Later, Mrs. Thornton was instrumental in forming Tandy Technology Scholars, a partnership between Tandy/Radio Shack and TCU. The Scholars program was a nation-wide endeavor for students and teachers who excelled in math, science or computer science. She traveled the country promoting the program and the university.

In her retirement, Mrs. Thornton, who loved to bake, was also known as “the cake lady.” She estimated that she made and gave away over 100 cakes a year, all delicious.

Memorial Service: 2:00 p.m. Sunday, March 29, 2026 in the Chapel of First United Methodist Church.