Warner, NH – Katherine “Kathy” Bryant Thorpe died suddenly & peacefully surrounded by family & friends at home on May 6, 2026 in Warner, NH at the age of 74. She had been battling several health issues for a long time.
Kathy was born on July 9, 1951 in Knox, Maine to Joseph H. “Joe” Bryant & Beatrice “Bea” Gardiner Bryant.
Growing up she loved school, and became a life long learner. She loved to sing. She was in the high school chorus and sang at church. Being the oldest of eight, she cared for her younger siblings and had to balance this responsibility with keeping up her studies. She graduated from Mount View High School in Thorndike, Maine.
She went on to the University of Maine, Orono, and graduated in 1973 with honors and a degree in Child Development-Elementary Education. While in college she was involved in Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and continued singing.
Following school, she taught in Wells, Maine for one year. Then she moved to Old Town, Maine to be near her fiancee, Lon Thorpe, an electrical engineering student at U of M Orono.
Kathy married Lon in 1975. After Lon graduated, Kathy & Lon moved to Warner, NH in 1976.
In Warner, Kathy helped out at the Warner Co-op Kindergarten and daycare program, provided childcare at home including taking several youth in, and led a Girl Scout troop. In the 1980’s Kathy worked for NH Savings Bank Corp. in Concord, NH, first as a short-order cook in their cafe, then as a researcher in their operations center. Following the NH bank crisis of 1991, Kathy retired from banking to become a full time domestic engineer and expectant mother. Kathy & Lon adopted their daughter, Abigail, “Abby” in 1993.
Kathy worked very hard through the years to see that Abby received a rounded education, using her Child Development training to advocate for Abby in the public school setting, and provide other learning opportunities.
Kathy was an accomplished gardener, and enjoyed growing a large variety of plants, typically from seed. As her daughter, Abby, has said, “Planting a seed is believing in tomorrow.”
She was a generous and loving individual who was passionate about gardening, and books, especially cook books. She could often be heard humming. She enjoyed and taught others to enjoy the simple things in life, and all those simple things we will cherish forever.
She was an active and dedicated member of the United Church of Warner, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, co-organizing the Open-Door group for mothers and small children, and volunteered in doing church community outreach, like driving people in need of transportation.
Kathy is predeceased by her parents, Joe & Bea of Thorndike, Me.; two brothers, Tim of Knox, Me. and Ken of Waterville, Me.; and her sister, Fay of Unity, Me.
Surviving family members include her loving husband, Lon; daughter, Abigail Hall, son-in-law, Benjamin Hall; siblings, Clayton Bryant of Knox, Me., Malcolm Bryant, of West Virginia, Roy Bryant of Unity, Me., and Julie Patterson of Thorndike, Me.; their spouses, and numerous nieces & nephews.
A Celebration of Life was held on May 13, 2026 at the United Church of Warner, 43 East Main St., Warner, NH. Pastor Amy Gardner officiated the ceremony.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Charity of your choice.
To sign an online guestbook, please visit www.chadwickfuneralservice.com
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