Robert Leroy Thorson, age 84, died Friday, August 13, 2010, in Brookings, South Dakota. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 21, at the First United Methodist Church of Brookings followed by burial of cremated remains at the DeSmet Cemetery at 3:00 P.M.
Robert Thorson was born December 15, 1925, in Yankton to James and Doris (Burgi) Thorson of rural Lincoln County. He started his education at Long Creek District 52 in Delaware Township, until the family moved to De Smet in 1935. He continued school there, except for his sophomore year of high school when he attended Brookings High School. He graduated from De Smet High School in 1943 and immediately enlisted in the U. S. Navy in a Navy College Training Program (V-12) where he attended the University of Minnesota. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned as an Ensign in February of 1946. He remained in the navy for 31 years and retired as a captain in 1974. He served on 10 ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. He was the commanding officer of four ships--a Fleet Ocean Tug, a Destroyer Escort, a Destroyer, and a Missile Cruiser. He also served on several staffs, including that of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He served in both the Korean and Viet Nam wars, including the landing at Inchon in the Korean conflict. While in the Navy he attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA and earned a degree of Bachelor of Science in Communications Engineering there in 1960.
During his service he was awarded the Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, a Bronze Star Medal, and a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V". He also earned four engagement stars for the Korean Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, and the Viet Nam Service ribbon with four engagement stars.
He married Shirley Bedner of Yankton December 22, 1948, in Yankton. During his naval career they lived in Pensacola, FL, Norfolk, VA, Newport, RI, San Diego, CA, Glenview, IL, Long Beach, CA, Pearl Harbor, HI, Monterey, CA, Athens, Greece, Bath, ME, and Vienna, VA.
Upon retirement, Captain and Mrs. Thorson and their son, James, moved to Brookings. He then attended South Dakota State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Biological Sciences in 1978.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Brookings.
Survivors include his wife, his son, James and daughter-in-law Connie Smith, twin granddaughters Alison and Patricia, all of Minneapolis, and a brother and sister-in-law, James and Connie Thorson of Albuquerque, NM, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by brother Richard of New Braunfels, TX, and sisters Jeanne Wahl of Blue Springs, MO, and Elizabeth Purintun of Milwaukee, WI.