Cecil Thorpe, 86

Cecil D. Thorpe passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on September 9, 2013. Cecil was born in Worthing, South Dakota on January 29, 1927.

When Cecil was 17 he enlisted in the Coast Guard and was stationed in Barnagut City, New Jersey. He was honorably discharged after a year and a half of service and used the GI Bill to obtain his pilot’s license at Felts Field in Spokane, WA.

Cecil met his wife Ruth while working at a dairy machinery company in Spokane, WA. Cecil and Ruth were married February 26, 1949. They moved to Kingston, ID where Cecil worked in the Bunker Hill mines as an electrician. After a few close calls underground, Cecil and Ruth decided to open a business of their own, Thorpe Electric.

Thorpe Electric was well known throughout the Silver Valley for its integrity and quality workmanship. In 1980 Cecil and Ruth closed Thorpe Electric and moved to Coeur d’Alene where they started Thorco, Inc. with their son Jim and his wife Brenda. If you were to stand at Independence Point in Coeur d’Alene and look toward Sherman Avenue, Cecil was a part of the construction of every major building in sight. Cecil retired from Thorco, Inc. when he was 75

Cecil loved flying and would often fly him and his sister Dorothy to the Midwest to learn about family history in his Cessna 182. He loved reading about aviation and world history and was an avid rock collector. In later years he and Ruth would spend winters in Tucson, AZ.

Cecil is preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Inez Thorpe. He is survived by his wife Ruth; sister Dorothy; son and daughter in law Jim and Brenda Thorpe; son and daughter in law Nick and Elizabeth Thorpe; three grandchildren: Michael Thorpe, Heather Duff (Thorpe), and Dennie Thorpe, as well as his three great grandchildren: Camryn, Makena, and Ember.

The family would like to thank Hospice House for their excellent care and ask that donations be made in Cecil’s name to the Hospice House of North Idaho or the Kootenai Humane Society. A private family memorial has been held. Please visit Cecil’s online memorial atwww.yatesfuneralhomes.com.