Ethel L. M. Thorpe

Thorpe was born and raised in Norwich, England.[1] During World War II, she served as a nursing sister for the British army.[2]

After the war, Thorpe was appointed Matron of the County Hospital at Shanghai, China.[3] She later traveled to Jamaica where she established a training program for psychiatric nurses.[4] By 1950, she was appointed Matron of Bellevue Hospital, Jamaica.[3] Thorpe also sat on the General Nursing Council of Jamaica.[5] In honour of her contributions, she was the recipient of the 1956 Order of the British Empire.[6]

In 1962, Thorpe was sent further into Jamaica by the Colonel Office to help them gain independence.[7] In 1963, Thorpe immigrated to Canada to take a position as Nursing Consultant for the Sanatorium Board of Manitoba.[1] She also served as co-ordinator for five hospitals.[7]

In 1974, she was honoured by the Canadian Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association as a lifetime member.[8] A few years later, she was the recipient of the 1977 Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal[3] and was awarded the 1981 Florence Nightingale Medal by the International Committee of the Red Cross Society.[1]

Thorpe died on December 4, 2001.[1]