Happy 100th, Fred! A Mountain Neighbor Marks a Milestone

It isn’t every day the mountain gets to celebrate a centenarian! On Monday, September 15, longtime resident Fred Thornberg turned 100 – bringing with him a lifetime of service, humor, and community spirit that has enriched the Mt. Hood area for more than five decades.

Thornberg moved to Oregon from Utah in 1968 with his wife Dana, and worked as a home builder. “I was a Lion in Utah,” he recalled. “A friend asked me to join here, and I did.” That simple decision turned into 55 years of dedicated service – the longest membership in club history.

Along the way, Thornberg drew the plans and helped construct the current Mt. Hood Lions Club building. “I just enjoyed the club so much,” he said. “A super bunch of nice people.”

His memories stretch from Lions fundraisers to the local theater troupe, the Mountain Players, which also called on the entertainment skills of the rest of the Thornberg family.  The troupe was known for their funny, sometimes edgy skits – including the unforgettable “singing bellybuttons” – and shows like “Hill Billy Time on the Mountain” with songster Chuck Edwards as master of ceremonies. The shows were well-attended and thoroughly enjoyed. 

He laughs when recalling stories from club events – like the turkey shoot where he couldn’t hit anything with the gun provided. So, he went home, and returned with his own gun, which really wouldn’t have been allowed in the rule book, if there had been one. When it was his turn again, his aim was so sharp the target “just disintegrated.” He didn’t get a turkey that year, but everyone got a good laugh.

Before moving to Oregon, Thornberg had been an avid archer for 25 years. At one Lions gathering, he outshot a visiting state archery champion, much to the other man’s frustration. “I couldn’t miss a thing that day,” Thornberg said with a chuckle.

Beyond the Lions, Thornberg’s service runs deep. A World War II veteran, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard at age 17 and spent nearly three years in combat. He served as coxswain aboard the USS Leonard Wood and USS Cavalier, seeing action in multiple Pacific landings, surviving a torpedo strike, and helping ferry troops into some of the war’s fiercest battles.

This month, friends and family made sure his 100th birthday did not go unnoticed. The staff at his residence decorated his door with balloons, filled the dining room with song, and presented him with a giant card signed by nearly every resident. “I just got treated like royalty,” Thornberg said with a smile.

Local resident Molly Smith remembers, “Fred and his wife Dana were very nice folks – supportive and a definite asset to the community as a whole.”

Fellow Lions also paid tribute. “We visited him recently,” said Lion Milt Fox II. “He looks great! Fred is a Life Member of our club, one of only six to ever be honored with our highest form of recognition. Fred asked us to tell all his friends here on the mountain hello, and that he wishes them all the best.”

With his milestone birthday, Thornberg’s life story is a reminder of the Lions Club motto: We Serve. His legacy is written not only in blueprints and buildings, but also in friendships, laughter, and a spirit of giving that has shaped the Mt. Hood community for generations.

Wishing you a most happy 100th birthday, Lion Fred Thornberg!