Glenn Jacob Roy Thornton Toothman Jr. was born the third son to Glenn J.R.T. Toothman and Elsie Rees Toothman on August 9, 1920 in Erie, West Virginia. He graduated from Victory High School, Clarksburg, West Virginia, Class of 1938, where he enjoyed the distinction of having been elected president of all three years of his high school class. His senior year he was selected to the West Virginia All-State Cast in Thespian Drama and chosen All-State Center on the All-State West Virginia Football Team. After graduation from high school he attended Potomac State Junior College in Keyser, West Virginia, on a football scholarship, for two years and then finished his undergrad degree at Hampden-Sydney College near Farmville, Virginia.
Two important events occurred while at Hampden-Sydney, the attack of December 7, 1941 on Pearl Harbor and his marriage to Catherine Jane Throckmorton on April 3, 1942, Good Friday, in Winchester, Virginia. He met Catherine while they both were students at Potomac State. On November 6, 1942 he was sworn in to the Marine Corps and after basic and officer's training was assigned to "A" Battery, 10th Battalion, Corps Artillery, 5th Amphibious Corps as a Battery Executive Officer. He served in the Pacific Theatre during the war and was discharged in Philadelphia in February of 1946 with the rank of Major. He then attended Washington and Lee Law School where he graduated in February of 1948. He then returned to Greene County, Pennsylvania, the home of his wife, and set up his first practice of law. Also, in 1949 he was appointed by Waynesburg College to teach business law in conjunction with his law practice, which he continued to do until 1964.
In 1956 he was elected District Attorney of Greene County and re-elected in 1960. In 1964 he was elected the President Judge of Greene County where he served in that capacity for two full terms and retired back to the private practice of law in 1985. He was a very eloquent spokesman and enjoyed writing and public speaking. He is the author of several books, some of which are books of poetry. He enjoyed oil painting and was an ardent fan of Pittsburgh Steelers football.
He was a loving, caring father and husband and remained married some 59 years to Catherine until his death. Four children were born to this marriage, Harry, October 13, 1948, Glenn 3rd, April 10, 1954, Farley, June 5, 1955, and his favorite daughter Ellan, January 3, 1957.
He died unexpectedly, yet peacefully, at his home at 114 West Wayne Street, Waynesburg, early Sunday evening, November 18, 2001. Funeral services were held at the First Presbyterian Church and were very well attended by family and the public. One eulogizing friend said, among other very kind things, that Glenn was as handsome as a man was allowed to be without a bodyguard.
It is important to note that this man was the inspiration for the creation of the Memory Medallion. He said that as he was coming into the twilight of his life he hated to think that it all came down to the dash on a stone. He charged his son Glenn to create a way to tell the life story of a person that could exist at the gravesite so future generations would know about this person, thus the Memory Medallion was invented.
Compiled by his family.