Served as reminder of town history
Emily Stephenson Assistant City Editor
When Bill Thorpe and Laurin Easthom joined the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2005 a tour of town facilities brought them to the top of a fire truck's ladder.
Easthom then new to the council was terrified to ride in the truck's bucket" but Thorpe encouraged her to hop in.
""He drew me in and said" ‘This will be fine"'"" she said. ""The thing took Bill Thorpe into the air almost 100 feet. He was just so calm about it; he put his whole trust in that fireman.""
Thorpe died Saturday at his home after suffering heart problems. Council members said a calm" guiding presence was indicative of Thorpe's mentoring style on the council where he served in the 1970s and 1980s before running again almost two decades later.
Council member Mark Kleinschmidt said Thorpe called him almost every week.
Easthom too said she would meet Thorpe to talk politics and town policy over lunch.
And in an attempt to expand the council's mentorship to students Thorpe proposed an internship program for 10 undergraduates" approved in 2006.
""That also shows a part of what Bill was interested in" which was giving people opportunities" Mayor Kevin Foy said.
Council members said Thorpe's personal and leadership experiences gave him a unique outlook on town issues.
Born in segregated Oxford, he moved to Chapel Hill in 1970. He worked for the N.C. Department of Labor and maintained a link to workers at UNC and the town after leaving.
As a council member, Thorpe focused on initiatives on behalf of town employees and pushed for more affordable housing.
He understood that we needed to create places for people"" Kleinschmidt said.
As the only African-American on the council, Foy said Thorpe shared what it was like to be part of Chapel Hill's black community in the past and today.
But he said Thorpe told council members, who are elected at-large, to consider all residents their constituents.
Bill would always make clear that everybody on the council represents all the citizens"" Foy said.
He was known to pontificate on what he called the council-manager form of government"" and to remind town staff and council members alike of their roles in the system.
And his ability to take a step back from the nitty-gritty of politics gave him a reputation for a wry sense of humor.
""He could laugh about politics and just not take things too seriously when they didn't need to be taken seriously" Easthom said. He could rise above the fray and just say" ‘This is how it is.' And it was funny.""
Town leader"67 fought for civil rights
Max Rose City Editor
Bill Thorpe spoke for more than just himself on the Chapel Hill Town Council.
Thorpe never hesitant to say what was on his mind" used his 11 years on the council to fight for those who have no voice.
He was 67 when he died at his home Saturday.
""What kept him going each year was day by day being a representative for the town"" his wife Jean Thorpe said.
When Bill Thorpe walked into a room, he greeted everyone with a smile and a firm handshake.
One of the first things he would always say was"" ‘What's your name?'"" said Fred Battle"" the former head of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. ""He loved being a politician.""
But Thorpe never hesitated to tell council members when he thought they were wrong"" friends and public officials said.
""One thing about Bill Thorpe" he spoke his mind and people knew when he would come out on an issue that it's coming from the heart" said Eugene Farrar, current head of the local NAACP.
Thorpe was instrumental in Chapel Hill becoming in 1984 one of the first municipalities in the country to officially recognize the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. as a holiday.
And 20 years later he asked then-Mayor Pro Tem Edith Wiggins to present a resolution to rename Airport Road after King, whom Thorpe idolized as a civil rights hero.
Thorpe, who was not an elected official at the time, spoke personally with every member of the council in advocating for the change, Mayor Kevin Foy said.
He was not only the initiator but the leading proponent throughout the process"" Foy said.
That has had repercussion throughout the community over the last few years that have ultimately been good for Chapel Hill to have.""
The change initiated a town-wide conversation about race and institutional racism" Foy said.
Thorpe was a political force in Chapel Hill as long-time president of the Hank Anderson Breakfast Club and as a consultant for many local candidates. Candidates crave the club's endorsement and brag when they receive it.
In the 1970s he was part of a committee that rewrote the town charter" Foy said.
He took a medical leave of absence from the council earlier this month and did not return.
""Who's going to really be" I guess" a watchdog of the community for the people?"" said Battle" who has known Thorpe since 1970.
Thorpe attended University Baptist Church on South Columbia Street almost every week while he was in good health Jean Thorpe said.
University Baptist will hold Friday a public viewing session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and services at 1 p.m.
Mitchell Simpson the pastor at University Baptist" said Thorpe's faith was given voice in the larger community.
""Clearly this is a guy who had influence but did not try to wield it in a tacky way" and I think that says a great deal about him" said Simpson, who Thorpe called Doc.""
""With a guy like Bill"" all you have to do is stand up and tell the truth about him.""
Thorpe is survived by Jean" a retired educator and his two children William41 and Beverly 43.
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.
