Elizabeth Louise "Betty" Thorpe

Elizabeth Louise “Betty” Thorpe, age 77, of Long Beach, passed away on Monday, September 22, 2025.

Betty was born on February 8, 1948, in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Her family later moved to Altus, Oklahoma, where she graduated high school with the Class of 1966.

Betty lived a life defined by compassion, strength, and friendship. Her calling as a nurse was more than a career — it was her ministry of care. She began as an LPN after graduating from Gulf Coast Community College in Gautier, MS, and later earned her RN from Fresno State. She worked as a hospice nurse, a VA nurse, and eventually taught nursing at California State University, Fresno, shaping the lives of both patients and future nurses with her knowledge, kindness, and grace.

Beyond her work, Betty was known for her remarkable gift of friendship. She could meet a stranger and leave with a friend — and those friends became family for life. Whether sharing laughter around a table of cards, playing bingo or Farkle, or setting out on one of her beloved train trips, she brought joy and warmth into every room she entered.

Betty’s life was also shaped by her roles as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents; her brother; and her husbands, Larry Fry and Delano Thorpe.

She leaves behind two daughters who were the pride of her heart, Beverly “Jeannie” (Jeffrey) Gosch and Heather (John Marden); and three beloved grandchildren, Eric, Bryan, and Kathy; along with her faithful dog, Stephanie, who was always by her side.

To know Betty was to know joy, resilience, and the kind of kindness that lingers long after the moment has passed. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched, the lessons she taught, and the love she gave so freely.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at the Senior Citizen Center in Long Beach. Friends may visit one-hour prior to service. A graveside service will be held at a later date. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street is honored to serve the family of Betty Thorpe.