Oct2013_Alonzo Trevere (Trevor) Thorpe: A Valued Life
Just three weeks after the death of his wife, Dare, former Dayboro resident Trevor Thorpe passed away in September, aged 88. Noted for his detailed memory, Trevor was asked in 2000 to compile a video history of what Dayboro’s main street was like in the 1930s.
His father Jack Thorpe built many local buildings and through his mother Agnes (the eldest Heathwood daughter) Trevor had nearly 50 Heathwood first cousins. Some Thorpe family members still live in the district. Here are a few highlights from tributes at Trevor’s funeral, held at Henzell’s Chapel at Mount Pleasant (thanks Lyn and Lee) looking out over the original Thorpe family farm settled in the early 1900s. Thanks go also to the A.H.&I. Ladies Auxillary for catering.
Trev was no millionaire, managing director or TV personality. But he was rich and successful in his lifelong 64-year marriage with Dare, raising four children, Jeff, Glen, Ross and Wendy (Scaife) and 10 grand and great grandchildren. He provided for all during difficult times and good. He had a way about him that was appreciated by those he met. Good natured, pleasant, interested and a good listener, he truly always gave you the time of day. He deserved his abundance of friends from all walks of life.
Trev was born 4 June 1925, a little brother to Lawrence who has just celebrated his 90th birthday. Dad was also a half-brother to Cynthia Harding Thorpe, (Musson) who was raised in the UK. Cynth now 92 is Jack’s daughter from his first marriage to English rose, Dorothy Harding whom he met while fighting in World War 1 and brought home to Dayboro but who died sadly from childbirth complications.
Jack also had complications from the trenches and had a heart attack in his 30s, having to lie flat for nine months. Lawrie and Trev, aged just 10 and 8 had to complete the family home construction going by Jack’s instructions. The Masons came in to put on the roof. The house is still there just down from the school.
Trev boarded with his Donaldson cousins and Mrs O’Hara when he went off to Commercial High in Brisbane at 14 after passing Dayboro’s first scholarship exam. Uncle Lawrie describes Trevor as ‘a brilliant student’ that the teacher frequently put as a grade five student in with the grade sevens for maths – where often he was the only one with the right answer. Jack Thorpe was a good friend of many and a hard worker for the Dayboro community, and Lawrie says the boys never knew quite who would be at home having a chinwag with Grandpop when they arrived home from school. Former Premier Frank Nicklin was one such friend.
An early job for Trev was in the State Stores…still just a teenager but responsible in those war years for purchasing every single item used in hospitals across Queensland, from test tubes, to pharmaceuticals to ambulances. In the mid-40s he helped Lawrie build the plumbers shop now the Art Gallery. We all recall playing at the shop while Dad, Uncle Lawrie and Grandpop made tanks. On holidays with our grandparents we would hang out the house window early morning to watch the cows driven down McKenzie Street and up to the dairy. or buy abundant lollies for sixpence from Kelly’s store three doors down.
Trev took a break from State Stores to run a venture as an iceman, in the pre-refrigeration days. He qualified as a valuer in the 60s and spent the rest of his working life in the Valuer- Generals department, at one stage in charge of the Redcliffe revaluation, conducting land court around the state and becoming the District Valuer for the South Coast, and supervising a staff of over 100, but he always found time for community and family. Examples include his various roles with the Masonic Lodge, where he gained his 60 year pin a few years ago and the related Jobs Daughters and De Molays activities. Trev drove us all to music lessons, band rehearsals and performances all over Brisbane as well as hockey games. He was junior hockey manager at Commercial – even though he was a left-handed batsman and right handed very fast bowler. He played cricket for Valleys and won a cup for the most number of wickets taken in an innings for the club – 9 in one innings. Trev was also a great dancer, having been a dance teacher in the Valley as a teenager. He ran the over 50s dances at Bribie Island and he and Dare danced up to five nights a week from Mt Pleasant to Northern NSW until just a few years ago.
There are layers of meaning in the phrase ‘A Valued Life’. Trev was proudly a Valuer by profession. His life is valued by his family and friends and his was a life based on strong values. Trev taught us that you should give the best that you have to the highest that you can, clear for instance in the absolute focus he gave his work. Dad was asked in conversation once about an unremarkable block of land in Roma. Now bear in mind Dad’s Roma valuations were more than 40 years before this conversation, but he immediately said to look out for the easement on that particular block: a remarkable memory.
Trev believed in hard work and determination. He couldn’t afford to buy all the text books when he was at high school in Brisbane. Friendlier teachers would loan Dad these books and he would spend hours typing them out page by page.
Trev liked to lighten people’s day and this was in place up till his last days at Sandgate Masonic Care. The humour was not good – definitely Dad jokes, but they did teach us that life in all its good and bad, is easier with a sense of humour. That sense of humour has been much needed in recent years with Mum and Dad’s failing health. You would say to Trev, “How are you feeling?”. “With my fingers usually,” would come the response. Likewise, “how are you going?” would earn a comeback of “on my legs”, “on Shank’s pony” or “by car” and so on. As you would leave and say, “Take care” he would always flash back with, “I can’t do that because I have to take Dare instead”.
Trev gave us many reasons to smile and we are thankful for these and for his valued life.
