Obituary of Josephine Thorpe

Ms. Josephine H. Thorpe, died peacefully in West Caldwell, NJ, on March 8, 2025.

Josephine was a beloved mother, grandmother, and dedicated professional who spent the majority of her life in the community she loved. She was a longtime resident of South Orange, NJ, before moving to West Orange, NJ. Josephine earned her bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University and went on to achieve her law degree from Rutgers University School of Law. Josephine started her career in education as an English teacher. After completing law school, she worked as a real estate attorney for Bell Atlantic and was also a partner at Wallace, Murphy, Thorpe & Lewis, which was one of the first Black-owned law firms on Wall Street. Josephine Thorpe was also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Josephine is survived by her son, Mavi D. Thorpe, daughter in-law, Dr. Christine W. Thorpe, and grandchildren, Nicholas Hugh Thorpe and Candace Simone Thorpe.

A memorial service will be held in her honor on Saturday, April 5, 2025 from 2:00PM - 4:00PM at Preston Funeral Home in South Orange, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Josephine H. Thorpe Scholarship Fund would be appreciated. Donations will go toward a senior in high school in 2025 awarded by the Alpha Alpha Lambda Scholarship and Educational Fund.

Donation link: https://tinyurl.com/AAL-Thorpe-Fund

For more information or to send condolences please visit prestonfuneralhome.net