FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 61
B
rigadier General
Norman Ralph Thorpe
(USAF Ret.), 87, of
Birmingham, died on Jan. 24,
2022.
He was born in 1934 in
Carlinville, Ill. In his early years,
he was raised by his mother,
Imogene Thorpe, and grand-
mother, Carrie Hayes. These
strong women instilled in him
an incredible work ethic and
an appreciation of equality and
fairness. Although the family
was small and came from mod-
est means, Norm loved to share
happy memories of growing up
with them and his brother, Dr.
Robert J Thorpe (“Jay”) and his
pop, Red Thorpe.
Norm was a lifelong learner.
He attended the University of
Illinois on an ROTC schol-
arship and, in 1956, received
a bachelor of arts degree in
economics with a minor in
international affairs. In 1958, he
graduated from the University
of Illinois Law School and
received a juris doctor degree.
In 1967, he received a master of
laws degree in international law
from the George Washington
University. Norm also attend-
ed The Hague Academy of
International Law, Netherlands;
Air Force Procurement School
at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base; and the Northwestern
University Law School course
for prosecuting attorneys.
Following law school, Norm
was commissioned in the
U.S. Air Force in 1956. First
at Pepperell Air Force Base,
Newfoundland, and later at
Stewart Air Force Base, N.Y.
This was the beginning of an
incredible 30-year military
career. From 1964 to 1966,
he served in Ankara, Turkey,
where he met his beloved
Elaine Pritzman. Though both
Norm and Elaine were from
Illinois, they met in Turkey,
where Elaine was stationed as
a teacher for the Department
of Defense Schools. From
1969-72, he was detailed to
the Department of State to
serve as legal adviser for the
U.S. Ambassador in Manila,
Philippines. It was here that
Sarah and Andrew Steven were
born.
From 1972-76, Norm served
as the chief of the Air Force’s
International Law Division,
based in Washington, D.C.
Daughter Carrie joined the
family on this assignment.
From D.C., Norm, then a
colonel, and family moved
to McGuire AFB and on to
Ramstein AFB, Germany. Now
Brigadier General Norman
Thorpe was the USAF Europe
Staff Judge Advocate General,
where his duties included,
among other things, supervis-
ing military justice and other
legal matters at 39 legal offices
in 11 countries throughout
Europe and exercising major
responsibilities for the protec-
tion of U.S. service members
under foreign criminal charges.
Norm’s final USAF assign-
ment was at Wright-Patterson
AFB near Dayton, Ohio. He
was the commander of the Air
Force Contract Law Center and
the staff judge advocate, Air
Force Logistics Command.
Although Norm retired
from the USAF in 1988, he
most certainly did not slow
down. Norm served as a
senior member of the GM
legal staff for 18 years. While
at GM, he handled the public
contracts division and many
international contracts for the
company. During this time, he
was active in the American Bar
Associations International Law
and Public Contracts Groups,
serving as section chief for the
latter. Norm’s passion and skill
for international law took him
to Prague where he helped to
found the Central and Eastern
European
Law Institute
or CEELI,
immediately
following
the collapse
of the Soviet
Union. Norm
represented
the U.S. State
Department
International Law Division
while sitting on the board at
CEELI.
At the CEELI Institute, he
taught lawyers, judges and
high court justices from former
eastern bloc countries how to
practice law in a constitutional
democracy. He also assisted
these fledgling democracies in
drafting their own new consti-
tutions.
Following his retirement
from GM, he worked on the
legal team at USCAR, a consor-
tium of the Big Three, working
on hydrogen fuel-cell technolo-
gy. Additionally, USCAR creat-
ed a safe and legal environment
for U.S. automakers to work
together to address the increas-
ing demands of ever-changing
environmental legislation.
Norm’s passion for education
and his storied career do not
tell a complete picture of what
an incredible man he was. He
was an accomplished musician,
playing clarinet in the Fighting
Illini Marching Band, a concert
pianist, and he sang in choirs
for years.
He and Elaine loved to travel
and cook together, and having
children did not slow them
down. Every opportunity was
spent on road trips and adven-
tures. Together they traveled all
over Europe, North America,
the Middle East and Asia.
Later, when Sarah and Carrie
were older and living abroad
with their own families, Norm
and Elaine visited and traveled
extensively in Brazil, China and
Qatar. In every country where
he lived or traveled, without fail
Norm made dear friends. He
never missed an opportunity to
listen and learn and hear peo-
ple’s stories.
Norm was an amazing family
man and devoted husband. He
is known to have said he not
only had two daughters, but
also two additional sons. He
loved and cherished the time
spent with his sons-in-law
talking cars, sports and the
politics of the day. Even with
all of his incredible accom-
plishments, Norm’s greatest
pride was spending time with
his beloved grandchildren.
berPoppy would take them to
rehearsals, Scouts, practices and
games, never wanting to miss
an opportunity to tell a “Norm”
story. And it wasn’t just his
immediate family that benefited
from the love and attention of
this amazing man. Norm was
a parent, adviser and friend to
countless peers and young peo-
ple throughout Metro Detroit
and the world. He was always
available for whatever people
needed, and he gave freely and
generously of his knowledge
gained in a life well lived. It is
this giving spirit and wealth of
knowledge that will live on in
everyone who was blessed to
have been touched by Norm.
Interment was at Oakview
Cemetery. Contributions
may be made to Democracy
Fund, 1200 17th St. NW
, Suite
300, Washington, DC 20036,
democracyfund.org; Detroit
Symphony Orchestra, 3711
Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI
48201-2444, dso.org; Michigan
Opera Theater, 1526 Broadway,
Detroit, MI 48226, michi-
ganopera.org; or Congregation
Shir Tikvah, 3900 Northfield
Pkwy., Troy, MI 48084, shirtik-
vah.org. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
He Had a Passion for Law
Brig. Gen.
Norman Thorpe