Assembly Resolution No. 841
BY: M. of A. Buttenschon
MOURNING the death of Herbert Clifton Thorpe,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his
community
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and this
great Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Herbert Clifton Thorpe of Rome, New York, died on January
28, 2024, at the age of 101; and
WHEREAS, On January 9, 1923, Herbert Clifton Thorpe was born the
second of six children to Barbadian immigrants Denzil C. Thorpe and
Dorine E. (Chandler) Thorpe in Brooklyn, New York; he graduated from
Alexander Hamilton High School (now Paul Robeson Technical School) and
enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps, working as a clerk typist
in Van Etten and Camden, New York; he also worked as an automotive
mechanic in Beltsville, Maryland, prior to enlisting in the United
States Army Reserves in October of 1942; and
WHEREAS, That December, Herbert Clifton Thorpe enrolled in the
United States Signal Corps School in Troy, New York; the following June,
he began his basic training for the Air Force at Kearns Field near Salt
Lake City, Utah; and
WHEREAS, Following his basic training, Herbert Clifton Thorpe was
accepted to cadet school; in early 1944, he traveled to Keesler Field in
Biloxi, Mississippi, where he passed the Tuskegee Airman aptitude test,
taking him to Tuskegee Institute in Alabama for the first phase of pilot
training, learning how to operate the PT-17 single-engine bi-planes; and
WHEREAS, From Alabama, Herbert Clifton Thorpe was sent to gunnery
school in Florida, returned to Tuskegee Institute, and moved on to Texas
where he obtained additional navigator/bombardier training at Midland
Airfield; following that instruction, he completed advanced flying
training, qualifying as a B-25 pilot, at Tuskegee Army Airfield; he was
commissioned as a Second Lieutenant Navigator/Bombardier on December 30,
1944; and
WHEREAS, After an honorable discharge in the summer of 1946, Herbert
Clifton Thorpe returned to Brooklyn where he worked for the Veterans
Administration and the United States Postal Service prior to enrolling
in New York University under the G.I. Bill, earning his Bachelor of
Electronic Engineering degree in 1953, and was employed as a radar
engineer at the Brooklyn Navy Yard; and
WHEREAS, In 1959, Herbert Clifton Thorpe moved from Brooklyn with
his wife and two children to start his new employment in the radar
research department at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, where
he retired in 1983; the following year, he started a new position as a
part-time guidance counselor at Mohawk Valley Community College until
1996; and
WHEREAS, As a prominent member of the Rome community, Herbert
Clifton Thorpe assisted in chartering the Rome Branch of NAACP, serving
as its first Secretary and holding the position of President for 10
years; he was also a Charter Member, Past President, and Past Secretary
of the Mohawk Valley Club of Frontiers International, a Charter Member
and Secretary of Prince Hall Military Lodge No. 112, and a Past Member
of the advisory board for the Oneida County Office of the Aging; and
WHEREAS, Herbert Clifton Thorpe and his wife, Jessie, were Fresh Air
Fund "parents" for many years and active members of the First
Presbyterian Church of Rome for more than 50 years; they helped
establish the Afro-American Heritage Association in Rome; and
WHEREAS, Active in his community, Herbert Clifton Thorpe was a
member of the Claude Tuskegee Airmen, Incorporated (TAI), Claude B.
Govan, Tri-State Chapter, New York; he was an avid golfer in his spare
time; and
WHEREAS, Herbert Clifton Thorpe was the recipient of several honors,
including the first New York State Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Humanitarian Award (2012), the Rome Historical Society 1777 Medal of
Honor Award (2013), and the dedication of the Heritage Room on Griffiss
Air Force Base in his name in July of 2023; and
WHEREAS, Herbert Clifton Thorpe is survived by his son, Clifton
Thorpe (Vanessa); daughter, Jessica Thorpe; grandchildren, Maisha
Sebastiany (Lee), Stephanie Thorpe, Natalie Thorpe, Leslie Stark
(Kalib), and Kahlil Davis; and great-grandchildren, Gibran Pierce,
Azariah Sebastiany, Khepri Davis, Westin Stark, and Nyla Stark; he is
predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Jessie M. (Shorts) Thorpe; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Herbert Clifton Thorpe leaves behind a legacy which will
long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory
to all he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Herbert Clifton Thorpe, distinguished citizen and
devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Herbert Clifton Thorpe.
