COOPERSTOWN – Patricia A. Thorpe, 78, of Cooperstown, New York, passed away peacefully at home on August 31, 2026, after a long illness. Born on June 17, 1948, in Red Bank, New Jersey, to Dr. John and Natalie Thorpe, Pat was a writer, gardener, nature lover, wife, mother, grandmother and treasured sibling whose energy, intellect and creativity shaped every chapter of her life.
The second of four children, she wrote her
first work, an autobiography titled “Second Edition”, while in the second
grade. It was the last time she or anyone else would put her in second place.
She went on to become the Red Bank Catholic High School Girls’ Track Team
number one State Champion high jumper and half-miler. Her team was groundbreaking
as the first girl’s track team in New Jersey.
Pat attended Newton College of the Sacred
Heart, now Boston College, where she majored in English and graduated in 1970.
She remained in the Boston area holding a variety of jobs before deciding to
pursue a more fitting career path in New York City. She finally found that path
as a copy editor at Esquire Magazine, where she made lifelong friendships with
accomplished writers including Pam McCarthy, Katha Pollitt and Nora Effron.
It was in Manhattan that Pat met her
husband-to-be Harold Stults, Jr., and they married in November 1978. She
decided to leave writing for the time being to follow another passion of hers:
flowers. She was able to set up her business on the ground floor of the
brownstone where they lived on the Upper West Side. Foxgloves, as it was
called, provided custom flower arranging, plant care and even Christmas tree
setups to customers all over Manhattan. Her slim physique belied her strength,
which was needed for this demanding work.
Seeking respite from city life, Pat and Harry
purchased a farm in upstate New York, where Pat devoted herself to gardening.
Before long, she found a way to unite her passions for writing, flowers, and
gardening. Returning to her roots as an author, she eventually published four
books and became a sought-after lecturer and workshop leader throughout the
eastern United States and Canada. Many in Cooperstown will remember her
workshops on drying flowers, crafting wreaths, and sharing the joys of
gardening.
Several years after the birth of their son
Sam, Pat and Harry found their Upstate NY hearts’ desire on Estli Avenue in
Cooperstown, where the family took up permanent residence. Their house, known
as Heathcote, became the center of family gatherings, holiday celebrations, and
summer visits for relatives and friends from near and far. Pat delighted in
bringing people together and was the driving force behind countless family
reunions and cherished traditions. The home’s historic garden, lovingly
restored by Pat, was a source of pride and beauty for all who visited.
Heathcote also served as the setting for her younger sister Marianna's wedding,
an occasion Pat orchestrated with her characteristic grace and attention to
detail.
After Harry’s death in 2011 and Sam's
departure for Cornell University, Heathcote became more than Pat wished to
maintain alone. She moved to a smaller home just outside Cooperstown, where she
remained until her death. She loved Cooperstown – its close-knit community, its
arts and music, St. Mary’s Church where she was a cantor and sang in the choir,
and the many wonderful friends and neighbors. Pat will be remembered for her
creativity, generosity, love of family, and ability to bring beauty into the
lives of others, whether through her writing, her gardens, her flowers, her
music or the welcoming homes she created throughout her life. Her legacy
endures in the family and friends she cherished and in the countless people she
inspired.
Pat is survived by her son Sam Stults (wife
Casey), grandson Wesley, sisters Barbara Cartee and Marianna Spain (husband
William), brother John Thorpe (wife Renee) and niece and nephew Ariel and Evan
Thorpe, and Evan's wife, Kathy.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated
at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown at
12:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 23, 2026, with Fr. Michael Cambi, pastor,
presiding. A reception will follow in
the Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to
Helios Care, 297 River Street Service Road, Oneonta, NY 13820, helioscare.org;
or Susquehanna SPCA, PO Box 267, Cooperstown, NY 13326, sqspca.org/support.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance
of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
