Paul Thornton, age 53, of Madison passed away January 16, 2021.  Paul was preceded in death by his father, Don Thornton, and his step-father, Bob Wilburn.

He is survived by his two daughters, Hannah and Meagan Thornton of Huntsville, who were the bright lights in his life. He is also survived by his mother, Sheila Wilburn of Madison, sister Tricia Thornton Mansour (Mel) of Decatur, niece Morgan Rowe Earnest (Jonathan) of Madison, and nephew CJay Rowe of Littleton, CO. He was also loved by sisters Cathy Wilburn Taylor (Ron) of Tappahannock, VA, Marybeth Wilburn Crawford (Greg) of McDonough, GA, and Cyndi Wilburn Garlinger (Ron) of The Woodlands, TX. The loss will be felt by his uncles, aunts, cousins, and many friends.

Paul graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High School in Ohio. He attended The College of Wooster and Kent State University in Ohio on a football scholarship. After a football injury, he served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1987-1990.

Pauli, as he was known, welcomed friends from all over the Tennessee Valley as the owner of Pauli's Bar & Grill in Madison. He was instrumental in the management of several fine dining restaurants in the region, and at the time of his death, Pauli was working on a plan to open several new restaurants in Huntsville. Without a doubt, Pauli's gift of hospitality will be missed by many in Alabama. The other love of his life was football, in particular the Ohio State Buckeyes. He could often be heard coaching from his living room whenever they played on game day. He will be greatly missed and our lives will be a little less flavorful and our celebrations a little less bright without him.

The family will be Receiving Friends on Thursday, January 21 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Berryhill Funeral Home. A memorial service will follow directly after.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up to help with college and living expenses for Paul's children.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/college-and-living-expenses-for-pauls-daughters?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1