Mayor Michael Zarosinski honored longtime community leader William “Bill” Thorndike, Jr., who passed away Saturday, at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.
“Bill was more than a successful businessman—he was a dedicated advocate for Medford and Southern Oregon,” Zarosinski remarked.
Thorndike, a third-generation Rogue Valley resident, was born in Medford on December 15, 1953, and graduated from Medford Public Schools in 1972. He then went on to Lewis & Clark College, where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration.
The businessman ran his family company, Medford Fabrication, which was founded in the mid-1940s. Since then, the custom steel company, located on Court Street, has grown to serve customers of all sizes across the state and the world.
Thorndike was known for his active participation in the community, serving on multiple boards and commissions, including the Crater Lake National Park Trust, Pacific Retirement Services, Asante Health System, and the Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc., to name a few.
He also served as a member of the Medford 2040 Vision Task Force, which seeks to shape the growth and development of the community over the next 20 years.
Thorndike was recognized with countless awards for his service, including the President’s Medal in 1996 from Southern Oregon University and the First Citizen Award in 2007 from the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County.
Governor Tina Kotek expressed her condolences on social media Saturday, writing, “I am sad to hear about the passing of Bill Thorndike. Oregonians can thank him for his entrepreneurship and unwavering charity and service to others, especially his neighbors in Southern Oregon. Sending love to his family today.”
Quoted in the Southern Oregon Business Journal in 2019, Thorndike noted, “Medford is home, not a stopover.”
“On behalf of the City of Medford, we extend our deepest condolences to Thorndike’s family, friends, and colleagues. Our community is stronger because of him, and his legacy will continue to inspire us,” Zarosinski concluded.
We thank our media partners for their stories highlighting Thorndike’s life.