Margaret Clara "Margo" Thorpe

Margaret “Margo” Clara Thorpe, a Lynden resident, passed away peacefully at the Christian Health Care Center on July 2nd, 2023. She was 86 years old. Margo was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on January 28th, 1937. She was the third child and much-loved only daughter of James Edward Thorpe and Gertrude Clara Thorpe. She recalled fond memories of her family’s childhood visits to the Cincinnati Zoo and travels to Coney Island on the iconic Island Queen, a sidewheeler steamboat that ferried passengers between Cincinnati and Coney Island. After her father’s passing when she was 11 years old, Margo and her family moved to a Cleveland suburb to be close to her deceased father’s brothers in Parma. She was later enrolled at Lourdes Academy, an all-girls Catholic school where she became editor of their school newspaper. After graduation, she moved on to nursing school at St. John College and graduated as a registered nurse. Her early nursing career started at the Cleveland Clinic where she was told there was a surgeon performing heart surgeries and she subsequently landed a position nursing patients post aortic valve replacement surgery and heart transplants. She recalled her time at the clinic, “It was a new chapter for medicine as heart patients were now recovering from surgery with advanced techniques and the best medical technology of the day, such as chest tubes and heart monitors.” Later, she became a nursing pioneer in the intensive care unit. Her nursing career and family migration eventually led her West to San Francisco, San Diego and finally Seattle to be close to her West Coast family. She retired in Lynden, WA after serving over 20 years at the Veterans Hospital. Once settled in Lynden with her companion dog Sandy, she joined TOPS and the Red Hat Society. Soon she started nursing part time at the Christian Health Care Center in Lynden. She eventually moved to Meadow Greens, an assisted living facility. Margo spent some of her happiest years at Meadow Greens. It was in this community that she had the opportunity to forge many meaningful friendships and embraced life to its fullest. Those that knew Margo enjoyed her ability to connect with people on a deep and caring level. Throughout her life, she recalled that she strove to apply Jesus’ commandment to “Love One Another as I have Loved You”. Margo’s heart was full of love and anyone whom she met or developed a friendship with could feel her kindness, warmth and sincerity. She had an infectious laugh and smile that could light up any room. Even in her later years of life, she still maintained a childlike joy of adventure and fun. Margo understood people and brought out the best in all who had the pleasure of meeting her. She was preceded in death by her parents, James Edward and Gertrude Thorpe and her brothers Dr. William James and Dr. George J. Thorpe. She leaves behind a sister-in-law, Peggy Thorpe of Montgomery Village, Maryland and numerous nieces and nephews from coast to coast. The funeral liturgy will be celebrated by Rev. Francisco Cancino at St. Joseph Church, 205 12th St. Lynden on Friday July 7th at 11:00 a.m

Margaret Clara "Margo" Thorpe

January 28, 1937 - July 2, 2023