Tributes paid to Scarborough solicitor Mick Thorpe

Tributes have been paid to Scarborough solicitor, Rotarian and former chair of Saint Catherine’s Hospice, Mick Thorpe, who has died at the age of 93.

Mick Thorpe was born on April 2, 1931 in Hull. He grew up in the city where he lived with his father Clifford Thorpe, mother Phyllis and elder brother Peter.

He trained to become a solicitor at the University of Manchester before attending Law School in Guildford.

After graduation he became an Articled Clerk at Payne & Payne Solicitors in Hull and went on to manage the Payne & Payne office in Scarborough in April 1955.

Mr Thorpe bought the practice in 1956 and Thorpe & Co was founded.

A great fan of motorsport Mr Thorpe travelled to the Monza Grand Prix in 1957 with two friends.

One of the friends became unwell and they ended up at the British American Hospital in Nice, France.

The nursing team was British and he eventually exchanged addresses with Sheila Macfarlane from Selkirk, Scotland.

On returning to the UK Sheila decided to find a job in Scarborough and the inevitable happened.

They married on 4 April 1961.

The couple had six children Martin, Richard, Chris, Malcolm, Fiona and Greg, and later ten grandchildren, Ben, Lucy, Paddy, Ananya, Janaya, Tejas, Matthew, Charlotte, Millie and Sophie.

Mr Thorpe joined Scarborough Round Table in the late 50s, “enjoying a lively lifestyle and doing some imaginative things”.

He was elected to represent East Yorkshire at the National Council and then as National President in 1971.

In the same year, Mr and Mrs Thorpe represented the National Round Table on a tour to Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.

On leaving Round Table as required at the age of 41, Mr Thorpe was invited to assist with the formation of a second Rotary Club (Scarborough Cavaliers) in Scarborough.

He was the founding Chairman and encouraged a close relationship with Rotarians in the Netherlands who, like him, had started in Round Table.