William J. Thorn: key obituary facts
Is William J. Thorn dead? Yes. William J. Thorn died on October 22, 2026, at age 96.
Cause of death: William J. Thorn's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was William J. Thorn known for?
He was a runner and coach.
More about William J. Thorn
Gender: male.
Born: September 4, 1930.
Occupations: Football coach, Cross country coach, Track and field coach.
William J.
Thorn, an American runner and longtime coach, died October 22, 2026, aged 96. Born William Jackson Thorn on September 4, 1930, he coached football, cross country and track for 65 years, retiring in 2019.
His work in Georgia high school athletics included coaching at Georgia Military Academy, now Woodward Academy, Headland High School, Colonial Hills Christian School, Fayette Christian School and Landmark Christian School. Thorn co-founded Landmark in 1989 and spent much of his coaching career there. His teams won 42 state titles, a record that led him to be described as likely the most successful coach in Georgia history. The Georgia Athletic Coaches Association inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2020. Thorn also maintained a long-running connection to road racing: he was the only runner to complete the first 53 Peachtree Road Races consecutively, from the event’s start in 1970 through 2022. His career thus spanned school coaching across three sports and participation in one of Atlanta’s established road races, with his coaching work extending across several Georgia schools and more than six decades.