Karen "Karrie" Elizabeth Thorpe

Karen Elizabeth “Karrie” Thorpe, 64, a Somerville native and resident of Arlington, departed this life on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at St. Francis Hospital in Bartlett following a brief illness.

Karrie Thorpe was born on August 4,1958 in Clovis, New Mexico. She was preceded in death by her parents, Karen Armstrong Thorpe who died in 2013 and Ret. USAF Lt. Col. Thurston Sellers Thorpe, Jr. who died in 1985.

Karrie graduated with honors from Fayette Academy and the University of Tennessee Science Center in Health Information Management. She had been a remote coder for Ciox Health for some years, choosing to work at home. She was also a fine artist and attended the Memphis College of Art. In her younger years, she was an outstanding dancer at the Karen Thorpe School of Dance. She also loved horses, and as a teenager, she was well-known as a barrel racer.

Karrie is survived by her sister, LeAnne Thorpe; her brother, John Thurston Thorpe; her daughter, Ariana Thorpe; three grandchildren, Elijah Thomas Thorpe, Corinne Elizabeth Thorpe and Donovan Dewon Thorpe; her niece, Kara Waddell Tapp (Josh); and her nephew, Joe Benson “Ben” Waddell. Karrie is also survived by her aunt, Jacque Armstrong Hillman; cousins, Sara Waide Bowers, Lea Waide, Brence Armstrong and Sterritt Armstrong, Jerry Thorpe and Michael Thorpe; and her uncle, Jack Armstrong.

Karrie loved being with her daughter and three grandchildren. She enjoyed spending time with them every day and would regularly share stories with them of her adventures. It quickly became a Saturday morning ritual for the children to wake up and watch a movie with their “Mena.” She also enjoyed gardening, listening to the mockingbirds sing and watching the hummingbirds zoom around the backyard like little jets. In her later years, she finally accepted her title of “Crazy Dog Lady” due to her love for her Terriers: Rose, Yoda, Madonna, Daenerys and Sookie. She also grew to love two of the additional mixed breed mutts Ariana would bring home, Baby Girl and Lagertha. She was independent and intelligent, and her quest for knowledge never ended.

Graveside Services for Ms. Thorpe were held at 2 P.M. Friday, April 21, 2023 at Somerville City Cemetery with Bro. Mike Hollaway, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Rossville, officiating.

The family requests that memorials in her memory be directed to the Bartlett Animal Services, 5220 Shelter Run Lane, Bartlett, TN 38135.

Those honored to be pallbearers will be Ben Waddell, Joe Waddell, Josh Tapp, Michael Thorpe, Jerry Thorpe, and Jack Armstrong.