Rosalie C. Thorpe

Rosalie C. Thorpe, 78, of South Windsor, CT, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, October 13, 2025. Rosalie was the daughter of the late Willie C. and Bertha Lee (Wells) Chalk. She was born in Jacksonville, GA, and raised in Hartford, CT, where she graduated from Hartford High School. She went on to earn her associate degree from Goodwin College. While pursuing her degree, Rosalie worked at Aetna Life Insurance Company, where she was employed for many years until her retirement. Never one to slow down, she went on to join the IT team at CIGNA, dedicating 10 years of service there. After leaving CIGNA, she worked for the Town of East Hartford before accepting a position as a receptionist at her beloved church, Crossroads Community Cathedral. Rosalie was a devoted woman of God, a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, and colleague. She was a longtime member of Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Hartford, CT, where she was actively involved in the Young Adults Missionary Society (Y.A.M.S.). Later, she became a faithful member of Crossroads Community Cathedral in East Hartford, where she formed deep bonds with her church family. Known for her warm smile and comforting words, Rosalie greeted everyone who entered the church with love and grace. Rosalie was a dynamic woman, full of spirit and adventure. Above all, she cherished her family and loved spending time with her grandchildren. She leaves to celebrate her life: her children, Lisa Burke and her husband Keith of Manchester, Troy Wilkins of East Hartford, and Jamila Hopkins and her husband Bernard of Waynesboro, PA; her bonus children, Cameron Dowdell and her fiancé Troy, Tirrell Cox and his wife Edie, and Bennie Billie IV; her 13 grandchildren; her siblings, Janese Bolden and her husband Warren, and Edmund Arthur Chalk and his wife Linda; her aunt Annie Mae Lewis; and her childhood best friend and sister-girl, Carolyn J. Evans. She also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her siblings, Clifford Chalk, Dorothy Davis, Emma Tyson, and Stanley C. Chalk; her nephew, Brian Davis; and her niece, Latoya Chalk. Her family will receive friends on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m., at Crossroads Community Cathedral, 1492 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rosalie, please visit our floral store.