Karen J Thorpe

The world became a little darker Friday when beloved partner, family member and friend Karen Thorpe died at her home in Denver.

Karen was born Dec. 10, 1949, in Parkersburg, W.Va., the eldest daughter of Mary and Jesse Thorpe. She graduated from Parkersburg High School and received bachelor's and master's degrees from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., and a doctorate in student personnel administration from the University of Northern Colorado.

Her career in higher education took her to several colleges, including Loretto Heights College and Metropolitan State University, where she served as dean of students and was honored several years ago for founding the now annual Martin Luther King Day celebration at the university.

She was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Denver where she sang in the choir, served as moderator, volunteered at the homeless shelter, counseled and made many lifetime friends. She was generous in ways few knew and extended many acts of kindness behind the scenes. 

Karen's interests and passions were many and varied. She played guitar and sang, she danced, she loved the outdoors and traveled widely throughout the U.S. and on numerous cruises with her partner. She laughed. A lot. And she made others laugh. A lot. She played a killer game of Hearts. She never met a project she wasn't willing to tackle, even if it involved using a power saw with hands that barely worked.  She loved decorating for holidays and made the house in Estes Park a welcoming and cheery place. At Christmas, she made sure guests were outfitted with matching hats and flannel shirts. She was especially proud of the back yard pinyon tree lights at Christmas. The "glow ball" was much admired in the neighborhood with its purple, green and white lights. Some said it could be seen from space. Some of her best times were with her partner and friends sitting around a campfire and roasting marshmallows while the elk bugled and the sun slipped away in Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Karen was that rare person who walked into a room and made everyone happier.  She was a rock for her partner, her family and her friends even when her own challenges were daunting.  She was forced into early retirement after being diagnosed with scleroderma and later faced down breast cancer. She embodied her mother's mantra: Never ever give up.  On her last day, she was trying to figure out how to hook up a new printer so she could write to loved ones and tell them how much they meant.  She didn't get the chance but they know.

Karen was, above all, the kindest, most generous, loving person and leaves behind a long list of family and friends she supported and encouraged in good times and bad.  She quite simply made a difference. There are many words to describe her, none adequate, but as one dear friend put it. "The world is a lesser place without our kind, bright, funny, warm, brave Karen." 

She is survived by her partner, best friend and spouse, Kathye Thomas, whom she met in high school and never let go; sisters Becky Crawford ( the late Dave Crawford), and Mary Ann Petrie (Wayne); brothers Fred Thorpe (Marcia), Joe Thorpe (Vicki) and Andy Thorpe (Pam); and some very special nieces and nephews she adored.  She leaves behind the world's greatest friends. They know who they are and how much they are loved. And, of course, Graysea, the gray and white cat, who will sorely miss Karen's lap. She is preceded in death by her parents, Mary and Jesse Thorpe, and her brother-in-law, Dave Crawford.

Karen's favorite words are emblematic of the person she was. She loved "truly, madly, deeply" to borrow the words from a favorite movie. And she was loved truly, madly, deeply in return. 

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, November 26, 2022 at 2:00pm at First Baptist Church of Denver, 1373 Grant St., Denver, CO 80203. Friends are encouraged to wear bright colors. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The National Scleroderma Foundation, the Wounded Warriors Project or a charity or church of your choosing in Karen's name.