Arloine Thorp

Arloine Marcia (Eldred) Thorp
1920-2012

Arloine Thorp passed away Friday, December 28, 2012 in Waco, Texas. Services will be at the Christus Chapel at Providence Park, 300 West Highway 6, Waco on Monday, December 31, 2012 at 1 PM. Visitation with the family will be after the service.

She was born in Scio, New York, March 17, 1920 to Margaret V. (James) and Grover C. Eldred, the second of four daughters. She was predeceased by her parents; sister Margaret V. and brother-in-law Floyd W. Frankson; infant brother James R. Eldred; first husband Francis J. Hutcheson; and second husband Nelson W. Thorp of Waco. She is survived by sisters Ruth O. (Walter, deceased) Henderson of Jamestown, New York and Bettie Lee (Jay, deceased) Yerka of Ithaca, New York; nieces and nephews in Florida, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas; stepdaughter Naomi (John) Fox of Waco, step grandsons Jeremy (Serpil) Fox and Whit Fox, step great-grandaughter Aylin Fox, and stepson Gregory (Shelly) Thorp of Detroit, Michigan.

She graduated as valedictorian of her class in South Dayton, New York and received highest honors upon graduation as a registered nurse from WCA Hospital in Jamestown, New York. First serving as nursing supervisor at the hospital, and president of the Alumni Association, she entered the Army Nurses Corp at Fort Jay, Governor’s Island (New York) in November, 1942 receiving initial training at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. Her ship convoy sailed south to Cape Hatteras and crossed the Atlantic to the Azores and on to Casablanca, Africa. By truck convoy through North Africa (Rabat to Morocco and Tunisia) she helped establish “MASH” units for the 11th Evacuation Hospital near the Allies Campaign against General Rommel. One unit was housed in a hotel surrounded by tents where she cared for medical and surgical patients. She moved by hospital ship with the 21st General Hospital to Naples, Italy to supervise orthopedic care for seriously injured soldiers and, there, was provided with penicillin for the first time since its discovery. She and Lt. Francis J. Hutcheson were married in a wartime ceremony in January, 1944 at Naples. She was with the ship’s final trip, Naples to Marseilles, supporting troops (5000 average) from the southern France invasions at a converted psychiatric complex near Dijon.

Returning to the United States on a WWI German ship she was separated from service as First Lieutenant at Fort Dix, New Jersey in November, 1945. She continued her orthopedic nursing career, eventually moving to Odessa, Texas with her engineer husband, and later to El Paso and Austin. While in Odessa Arloine worked for Drs. Headley, Williams, and Peer. In addition to her professional career she enjoyed many years of community leadership, e.g. in the Episcopal Church, Eastern Star, Symphony Guilds, the Texas Graduate Nurses’ Association, and, as officer and president of chapters in Beta Sigma Phi (Gamma Beta; Xi Epsilon; Theta Exemplar), as president, Odessa Beta Sigma Phi City Council, D.A.R’s Nathaniel Davis Chapter, Odessa’s American Business Women’s Association (Woman of the Year), and as charter member and commander of the Molly Graham Post (Women Serving In Wars).

She adjusted her nursing career to serve as casework counselor for the visually handicapped children’s programs in El Paso and Odessa, then to the Texas State Commission for the Blind in Austin to evaluate children’s programs. She served on boards of medical and rehabilitation centers and on councils for mentally and physically challenged children. Very active in the Austin community, she was honored several times in her professional and service organizations, receiving the TAU Master Woman of the Year award (1994-95) for outstanding service to Beta Sigma Phi. In addition she cared for her mother and sister Margaret for several years.

On November 4, 1998 she and Nelson Thorp of Waco renewed their high school sweetheart days through a second marriage and enjoyed travels and a wonderful caring companionship. A vital and inspiring woman, she is greatly missed by family and friends.

The family would like to thank Providence Hospice staff and St. Catherine’s 4th floor staff who have provided loving care.

The family requests that memorials be made to Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301 Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301; Learning Ally (previously Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic), Financial Development Dept., 20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540; Providence Hospice, 4830 Lakewood Dr., Suite 2, Waco, TX 76710 or to a charity of one’s choice.

Memorial Service

Monday December 31, 2012 , 1:00 p.m. at Providence Park, Christus Chapel