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Bill Thorp Obituary
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill undergraduate and law school, Bill was one of North Carolina's most prominent lawyers, whose career had many milestones.
He played a leading role in establishing, North Carolina Legal Services, an organization dedicated to providing legal services to low-income people in North Carolina and one of the first such organizations in the state. He helped to found the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, and was one of its early presidents. He wrote the North Carolina Civil Procedures manual which is a staple in virtually every law firm in the state. He was awarded the Southern Trial Attorney's Association ""Warhorse of the Year"" Award in 1997. In 1996, he was awarded the Judge John J. Parker Award by the North Carolina Bar Association. This award is known as the most eloquent compliment paid to a lawyer in this state by the North Carolina Bar Association. The award is not granted every year, but from time to time, it is given to those members of the North Carolina Bar who have distinguished themselves bytheir devotion and contribution to the law.
Bill was a member of the Inner Circle, the organization of the top one hundred trial lawyers in the United States. Bill had a multitude of other interests. Along with Daisy Thorp, he helped start the Arts Center in Rocky Mount, where he also acted in local theater productions. He danced with the American Dance Festival in Durham. Bill and his wife, Pat Webster, led workshops for attorneys about aligning their law practices with their core values. Bill and Pat were sailing when he passed away.
The funeral will be held on Friday, October 12th at 2 p.m. at the chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church, 304 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill. A reception will follow at the Alumni Hall in the GeorgeWatts Hill Alumni Center, Stadium Drive, UNC Campus.
Limited parking on Franklin Street in front of the church. Additional parking at Rosemary Street Parking Deck and Walker's Funeral Home.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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