Colonel Thorpe was the son of Jim Thorpe, the American Indian who won two gold  medals at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm and then had them taken  away  on  the grounds that he had once played professional baseball. The Colonel participated  in the campaign to have his father's medal returned. In 1982, 29 years after the star athlete's death, the campaign succeeded when the International Olympic Committee voted to restore his honors.

Colonel Thorpe retired from the Army in 1974 with 30 years of service, most  of  which were spent in intelligence and communications security assignments. He was a veteran of World War II, the Korean conflict and the war in Vietnam. His decorations included a Bronze Star and four Legions of Merit.

A  resident  of  the  Washington area since 1968. Colonel Thorpe lived in Vienna, Virginia. He attended the University of Maryland's University College program during and  after  his  Army  service,  and graduated with a bachelor's degree.

Since  his  retirement  from the military he had been a civilian equal employment  opportunity officer for the Department of the Army at Arlington  Hall  and  a  special  assistant  to  the  deputy assistant secretary for Indian affairs at the Interior Department.

Colonel Thorpe is survived by his wife, Bobbie, of  Vienna; three daughters,  Carla McKittrick of Falls Church, Karen Newberry of Reston and  Teresa  Thorpe  of  Alexandria; his  mother, Freeda V. Thorpe of Cleburne,  Texas, three brothers, William K., of Cleburne, Richard A.,of  Oklahoma City, and John R., of Shawnee, Oklahoma; three half-sisters, Grace  and  Gail  Thorpe, both of Yale, Oklahoma and Charlotte Thorpe of Phoenix, Arizona, and three grandchildren.
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[From The Washington Post, Friday, March 21, 1986]

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