Cover photo for Emma Thorpe's Obituary
Emma Thorpe Profile Photo

Emma Thorpe

January 7, 1927 — September 4, 2021

Emma Thorpe


Emma Jane (Jean) Thorpe, 94 years old ,passed away early Saturday morning September 4, 2021 while in residence at Accel, College Station, Texas.

Emma Jane was born in North Clayton, Wisconsin on January 7, 1927 to Otis and Blanche Kidd. She was the sixth of seven children born into a hard working cheese makers family. After high school graduation she attended secretarial school and was later employed in a military governmental office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was here she met a handsome young Air Force lieutenant named Roscoe Thorpe. At the time Lt Thorpe was studying architecture at the University of Minnesota. They eventually married and became the proud parents of two daughters; Pamela Jean and Deborah Ann.

Emma traveled the world as an Air Force officer's wife. She spent years abroad with assignments in Spain and Denmark. As with all military families, there were hardship tours and she was left to care for her children while her husband performed his duties while ordered to Viet Nam and Labrador. Upon her husband's retirement Emma and her husband eventually settled in College Station, some fifty years ago. Together she and her husband "Rocky" designed and built several homes in College Station. Emma, always a willing partner, wielding a hammer or paint brush to ensure that the job got finished on time and on budget. Emma Jane and "Rocky" eventually found a welcoming and unique neighborhood in Carter Lake: a delightful community of friendly folks and good people Along with the building of their home on Carter Lake, Emma and Rocky built a small cottage on the banks of the Yellow River in Spooner, Wisconsin.

Emma found great peace and comfort in their Spooner cottage and continued to make her annual pilgrimage to Spooner every summer with her cat Whiffy for many years. Emma Jane took great pleasure in entertaining her friends, family, and neighbors. She knew her way around the kitchen, and was more than skilled in the use of her stove top and oven: never being intimidated by a new unproven recipe. She had a creative side that she nurtured with brush and oils. Every room in her home is decorated with her paintings. A lasting legacy enjoyed by her family and guests. She was dedicated to her belief that exercise was important to body and spirit, as evidenced by the miles and miles she walked or biked on her vintage Schwinn around the banks of Carter Lake accompanied by her close friends.

Her friends knew her to be loyal and trusted. She is to be remembered as a kind gentle soul who was accepting of those who agreed with her and those who didn't. She found it difficult to deny any legitimate charitable cause. Always willing to give to those who needed a helping hand. Every day of her life was a day of tolerance and non judgment.

She and her husband were long time members of Our Savior Lutheran, having grown up in a loving caring Spirituality minded family.

Everyone whomever stepped foot inside her home knew immediately that Jean was a consummate cat lover. Over the many years all of her cats, "Mighty Manfred", "Whiffy" and "Waldo" lived a heavenly cat life cared for by an angelic soul.

Emma is preceded in death by her loving husband of fifty years, Roscoe and six of her seven siblings. She is survived by daughter and son-in-law Pamela and Byron Van Hyfte: daughter and son-in-law Deborah and Robert Wright: granddaughter Tamara and husband Christian Sy; granddaughter Bethany and husband Thomas Greenwood: great grandchildren Colton Thorpe Sy and Campbell Jean Sy.

The family requests in lieu of flowers a donation be made to the Alzheimer's Association in the name of Jean Thorpe.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Emma Thorpe, please visit our flower store.

Past Services

Graveside

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Starts at 3:00 pm

College Station City Cemetery

2530 Texas Ave S, College Station, TX 77840

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Reception

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Starts at 4:00 pm

Hillier Funeral Home of College Station

4080 Texas 6 Frontage Rd, College Station, TX 77845

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Guestbook

Visits: 25

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree