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In memory of
James "Jim" F Thorne
1951 - December 31, 2020
1951 - Dec 31, 2020
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Jim's obituary
Jim was born in Watertown, New York. Growing up, he and his four siblings found themselves spending as much time as they could outdoors. For Jim, that meant helping at his grandparents’ farm, exploring the nearby woods and building a treehouse with his best friend. Eventually Jim’s love of the outdoors brought him to Yale where he earned a PhD in forestry in 1984.
Shortly thereafter Jim moved to the Philadelphia area with his wife, Rosemary, to accept a teaching and research position with the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Landscape Architecture. The recurring highlight of Jim’s eight years at Penn was an annual two-week immersive course in Mexico where he and a fellow Yale forester explored the country’s eight varied ecosystems. Many of his students thanked him profusely for what they described as the most informative and definitely the most fun part of their graduate studies.
Jim continued his professional career at the Nature Conservancy of Southeastern Pennsylvania, a non-profit that creates trusts to protect environmentally valuable land for future generations. While there, Jim discovered a passion for conducting prescribed fires as a way to both reduce invasive plant species and promote the growth of native plants and trees.
Jim then spent ten years with Natural Lands Trust, where his proudest achievement was playing a critical role in the formation of the Hopewell Big Woods Partnership, a 73,000 acre conservation area encompassing the largest contiguous forest in southeastern Pennsylvania. To see and hear Jim describe the Big Woods in his own words, visit http://hopewellbigwoods.org/a….
Jim found tremendous joy in his family, including his children, Megan, Matt and Dylan, and his five grandchildren. He imparted a deep appreciation of the outdoors and was the most loving and kind father. Jim is remembered for his exuberant smile, hearty laugh, happy-go-lucky attitude and deep love of nature.
Jim was a lifelong athlete, playing soccer in high school and college, running marathons and, when his hips could no longer take the punishment, transitioning to long distance cycling. Biking continued to bring Jim joy well after his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 54. Jim had a zest for life and lived his days to the fullest with his family in Wallingford and more recently in nearby Media.
Jim’s memory will be cherished and kept alive by his wife and longtime caregiver, Rosemary Fitzgerald; children: Megan Bowers (Nicholas), Matt Thorne (Annie) and Dylan Thorne (Jena); and grandchildren: Harrison, Emma and Miles Bowers, Mackenzie Thorne and Jameson Thorne. He also leaves behind his loving siblings: Sandy Martindale, Amy Hamilton and David Thorne along with many nieces and nephews who will miss him dearly. Jim is preceded in death by his father, Frederick Thorne, mother, Marion Thomas and brother, Russell Thorne.
Any gifts in memory of Jim can be directed to the Penn Memory Center at https://giving.apps.upenn.edu…
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Created with love by
Matt Thorne (Jim's son).
