Mr. Roland Carter Thorne, a resident of Dothan, Alabama, passed away on Monday, March 16, 2026 at his home. He was 95.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 in the Glover Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Billy Rich officiating. Burial will follow in the Ramah Church Cemetery in Cottonwood, Alabama with Glover Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends from 10:00am until 10:45am on Tuesday at the funeral home prior to services.
Flowers will be accepted.
Mr. Roland was born in Clio, Alabama to the late Porter Franklin and Like Connie Shehane Thorne on March 10, 1931. He attended grade school in Malone, Florida and graduated from Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Alabama. He attended one semester at Alabama Polytechnic School, now known as Auburn University. In 1950, he joined the United States Air Force, his first duty was as military police and later became radar tech on F102 Fighter Aircraft, and ending as precision measuring.
Mr. Roland was stationed in England when he married Helen Mathis, who was from Scotland. She bore his three children, Martin, Donna, and Scott. His second wife, Jackelin, died of cancer. He and his third wife, Jeanette, have now been married for over thirty years. They became a blended family as Mr. Roland welcomed her three sons, Robby, Roger, and Jay into the family.
After his military career of twenty-four years, he worked in home construction in Niceville, Florida for several years then in the oil well industry monitoring equipment in Lafayette, Louisianna and Galveston, Texas for three years. Later he moved to Dothan and worked at Sony for several years before he became a rural mail carrier for twelve years. Due to an injury, he finally retired. Mr. Roland was proud of his military career, and he especially enjoyed his assignments in Pakistan and Turkey. Not only was Mr. Roland dedicated to his career, but he was also dedicated to his Lord and Savior as well as his church, Southside Baptist Church, which he was a member of for several years.
Mr. Roland is preceded in death by his parents, ten brothers, two sisters, stepmother, Nettie Conrad, and uncle, Joe Thorne.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanette McCord Thorne; five sons, Martin Thorne, Cawfordville, Florida, Scott Thorne, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Robby Thompson, Roger Thompson, Jay Thompson, all of Dothan; one daughter, Donna Thorne, Mt. Solon, Virginia; two grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.
Serving as pallbearers will be Robby Thompson, Roger Thompson, and Jay Thompson.
Glover Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 699-3888. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com
