Obituary of Edgar Appleton Thorpe

Edgar Appleton Thorpe, 102 of Scott's Bay, passed away unexpectedly on March 31, 2021, at home. He was born in Scott's Bay on November 15, 1918, to Warren and Edna (MacDonald) Thorpe. He worked in lumber camps on Cape Split in the 1930s. He was a farmer, a carpenter, and worked in the woods during winter cutting logs for pulp and paper mills. He did this when there were chain saws and axes to do the work, and his team of horses hauled all the logs out of the woods. He loved horses and had many teams of them over the years. He continued to work in his woodlots up to his late 70s.

Edgar also was known for his potatoes winning several ribbons as well as twice winning the title of Potato King of Nova Scotia.

During the early1950s he worked for a friend’s construction company in Massachusetts as a carpenter. He met Barbara Iline Keeler in the spring of 1955 and married her on October 8, 1955. He returned to Nova Scotia in 1957 and worked as a farmer and carpenter. Many of the summer cottages and several houses in Scott’s Bay were either built or worked on by him.

Edgar enjoyed having people visit him and he was delighted to share his memories of what it was like growing up during the Depression, and the changes in Scott's Bay and surrounding areas. People often contacted him in order to find out information on deceased family members. His memory never failed him although he grew extremely hard of hearing in his 90s. Edgar went from a time of biplanes to the atomic bomb, to men walking on the moon, to space shuttles and the International Space Station, to landings on Mars. He maintained a wry sense of humour through it all. One of his last comments was that he would like to get a phone that he could use to video chat with family.

Edgar was quite the card player and enjoyed playing cards with friends and attending church and the Seniors Club in Scott's Bay. He loved fiddle music and always was on the floor at local square dances. He was a dedicated Ford enthusiast and collected car brochures for years. He passed on his enthusiasm to his three grandsons who all own Ford vehicles.

Edgar is survived by a son, Kenneth of Scott's Bay, and a daughter, Marilyn (Kyle) Pettinga, and three grandsons, Benjamin, Nigel, and Joshua Pettinga of Ithaca, NY; his sister, Irene (Earl) Huntley, and his niece, Elizabeth (Robert) Huntley of Scott's Bay, and his sisters-in-law, Gemmy Thorpe of Wolfville; Jacqueline Keeler of Farmington, NH; and Janet Keeler of Foxboro, MA. Edgar is also survived by his nieces, Linda (Steven) Fasulo of Naples, FL; Cheryl (Joseph) Kelly of Reed City, MI; JoAnn Keeler of Farmington, NH; Shirley and Kathy Keeler of Foxboro, MA;and his nephews, Warren (Joy) Smith of Brandon, VT; and Dwight (Debbie) Keeler of Farmington, NH in addition to several grandnieces and grandnephews, and great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.

Edgar was predeceased by his first wife, Barbara, in 1990 and his second wife, Elva Shaw Thorpe in 2004. He was also predeceased by his brother, Merrill Thorpe, in 1991, his brother-in-law, Earl Huntley in 1996, and his nephew, Lowell Huntley in 2012.

Cremation has taken place and due to Covid a memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial donations, in memory of Edgar, may be made to the Scott's Bay Union Church (Attention: Mrs. Belinda Tupper, R.R.#3 Canning, NS B0P 1H0), the Scott's Bay Community Hall Association (Attention: Seniors Committee, 5796 NS-358, Canning, NS B0P 1H0), or to the charity of your choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home, 34 Coldbrook Village Park Dr., Coldbrook, NS, B4R 1B9 (902-679-2822).