Charlotte Thorpe

Charlotte (Gorman) Thorpe of Scotia, NY died peacefully on Sunday, November 2, 2014 after a long illness. Born in Schenectady, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Anna (Vitch) Gorman and lived most of her life in Rotterdam. She was a 1954 graduate of Draper High School. Charlotte started dancing lessons in May 1941 at the tender age of 3 with the Blanck School of Dance in Schenectady, and became an entertainer almost immediately. She performed with her tap class on WRGB in Schenectady (after they got their call letters when the studios were in the WGY Radio Building on Rice Road). She was proud that this happened even before Ed Sullivan and Milton Berle began their television careers. At the age of 9, General Electric hired her to perform at the WRGB studios (then housed at what is now the Center for Science and Technology at Schenectady County Community College) on Washington Avenue in Schenectady. She was paid $7.50 for 7.5 minutes of on-air time, which made it necessary for her to get a Social Security card. She also sang and danced over WGY and WSNY radio stations during the late 1940's. After winning a series of area talent searches in 1952, she was invited to perform on national television on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour, which aired on WNBC-TV in New York. Chaperoned by her mother, Charlotte made two consecutive appearances: she performed dance numbers and won the first week, but then lost to a 5-year-old girl who sang "Pennies from Heaven." The name of that little girl? Gladys Knight. Charlotte was an original WRGB-TV line member of the Blanck Dancers, became a recruited cast member of the Teen Age Barn TV show for a year, and toured the tri-state area with their road shows for some time. As a Blanck student, she was awarded numerous tap, jazz, ballet and showmanship awards throughout the years, also the Blue Ribbon and Faust Awards. She also had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take several dance lessons with actor/dancer Geoffrey Holder (formerly the 7-Up "Un-cola" spokesperson, and "Punjab" in the original movie version of "Annie"). Following three years of intensive training and student teaching, Charlotte received her Teacher's Certificate in tap, jazz, ballet and aerobatics in 1952 at the age of 15 during the finale of the school's annual recital on stage of the Plaza Theater in Schenectadyhaving appeared for many years on that stage, as well as at the Erie Theater and Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady. She became choreographer and star performer in a traveling variety show throughout the Mohawk Valley in the early 1950's. In 1955, as a contestant in the Miss Mohawk Valley Pageant of the Miss America search, she won the title of Miss Congeniality with dance as her talent. As a member of the Young Adult Civic Council, she choreographed and performed as an actor/dancer in some of their original musicals that toured throughout the area. For two years, she was a cast member and choreographer of the "GEAA Follies" (comprised of mostly GE talent) and the "MIM Players," performing for many company events. She also did uncountable performances for tri-state community, social, fraternal, religious and veterans' organizations for 17 years. At the age of 20, she married Clifford K. Thorpe on September 8, 1957 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Rotterdam. They shared a love of Southwest Native American cultures, and later wintered in Arizona. He predeceased her on August 10, 2000 after nearly 43 years of marriage. Charlotte retired on disability from the General Electric Company after about 25 years of service, most recently as Supervisor-Data Entry in the Steam Turbine-Generator Department. She had been a candidate in the Manufacturing Training Program (Business Option) and was a member of the Turbine Supervisors' Association. The New York State Tax and Finance Department (RAPPS) had previously employed her for several years as a keypunch operator. Charlotte enjoyed watching musical comedies on TV, listening to mostly all kinds of music and searching for new recipes on her computer. She had extensive Avon Nativity, various cookbook and crystal bell collections, and her favorite events were birthdays, holidays, and "Thorpe-Fest" (yearly extended family gatherings). Before moving to Baptist Health & Rehabilitation Center, she lived in the Bethany Village Apartments in West Coxsackie, NY. She was published author in their book Late Bloomers, served as Secretary to the Area Seniors at Bethany Village, and was their Past Secretary and Past President of theTenants Association. She was also a member of the Seniors Citizens of Coxsackie and was a communicant of St. Mary's Church there as well. Charlotte's favorite career was being a devoted mother to Robyn (Victor) King and Donald Thorpe of Rotterdam, Douglas (Karen) Thorpe of Princetown, and Darrin (June) Thorpe of Loudonville. She was a loving grandmother to Sarah Posson, Stefanie (Nathan) Glass, Jacob Thorpe and Kyle Thorpe, and cherished her three great-grandchildren: Zavian, Valencia and Natalie. She treasured her sister Rita Gorman of Schenectady. Brother-in-law Donald (Mildred) Thorpe of Mesa, Arizona, several nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, numerous cousins across the country and her dearest friends, Herbert and Dawn March of Rotterdam, and John and Priscilla Hutzky of Madison Township, PA also survive. She was especially grateful for finding a very best friend later in life, Joan Amato of Scotia. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, November 7, 2014 from 4:00-7:00pm at Bond Funeral Home on Broadway in Schenectady, with a Memorial Service to be held at 7:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations are appreciated for the Charlotte G. Thorpe Memorial Bench Fund (c/o King, 1219 Trinity Ave., Schenectady, NY 12306). The bench will be placed next to the Clifford K. Thorpe Memorial Cactus at the Park of the Canals in Mesa, Arizona--a beautiful and special place where Cliff and Charlotte spent many, many happy times.