James Walter Thorp

James Walter (Jim) Thorp, 80, a long-time resident of Nashua, NH, passed away peacefully after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease on August 2, 2021 at Angela Hospice in Livonia, MI with his wife by his side.

He was born February 15, 1941 in Woburn, MA to Walter Ezra Thorp and Ruth Estelle (Morrison) Thorp. He grew up in Stoneham, MA. After graduating high school there, he joined the US Air Force in 1959. While stationed in Colorado, he met and married his first wife, MaryJane Smith, with whom he had 3 children, one born in Colorado and two born in MA after they moved there. In 1973 they settled in Nashua, NH. Jim was a graduate of Northeastern University with degrees in Engineering and business. His career covered drafting, teaching, and engineering. He retired from Everett Mills in Lawrence, MA in 2005 and then had a mowing business to keep busy for several years in Nashua. He was known to many for his silver flattop haircut, as a math teacher at the former Nashua Vo-Tech College, as a Cal Ripken baseball coach in Nashua North and a Biddy Basketball coach. He was also an avid model railroader thanks to his long-time dear friend, Bob Bates who introduced Jim to that in the 1980’s. As a voracious reader all his life, he was a big collector of Horatio Alger books and member of the Horatio Alger Society for many years. NASCAR and dirt track auto racing were a big part of his life with his family members as well.

Jim was predeceased by his parents, his first wife, Mary Jane, and his daughter, Diana Lynn Demanche. Surviving are his second wife, Carole Ann (Orto) Thorp, his daughter Deborah (wife of Raymond) Rivard of Salem, NH, his son Daniel (Michelle) Thorp of Manchester, NH, three grandchildren Amanda Demanche of Tauton, MA, Devin Thorp, and Nathan Thorp of Manchester, NH, his sisters, Sharon Abruzzese, of Stoneham, MA, Janice Hanks of Nashua, NH, Donna Trout of Nashua, NH and his brother, William Thorp of Nashua, NH. He is also survived by his step daughters Tina Orto of Newport, MI, Jill (wife of Randall) Bruce of Farmington Hills, MI, Michelle Avila of Allen Park, MI along with step granddaughters Kara (wife of Michael) Cartrette of Lincoln Park, MI, Abbie Burghdoff of Kansas City, KS and his step great grandson, Lucas Cartrette.

A memorial service will be held at a later date at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, 58 Lowell Street, Nashua, NH with burial at Woodlawn Cemetery, 101 Kinsley Street, Nashua, NH.

In lieu of flowers, his families would greatly appreciate any donations to charities of your choice or to:

The Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 29990-6011, www.alz.org or Angela Hospice, 14100 Newburgh Road, Livonia, MI 48154, www.angelahospice.org.