Bonnie Lou (Stevens) Thorpe

Bonnie Lou (nee Stevens) Thorpe, Hammond, passed away May 26, 2025 after a fierce battle with Alzheimer's. She was the beloved mother of four children;  William (Yvonne) Thorpe of New Mexico, Frank (Marsha) Thorpe of Lowell, IN, Jack Thorpe of Hammond, IN and her only daughter, Diane (Russell) Miller of Griffith, IN; sister Carol Stevens of Denison, TX; grandson Tyler (Krystal) Thorpe and granddaughter Jackie (Michael) Pennington of Bloomfield, NM; niece Donna (Dion) Evans of Denison, TX; She is preceded in death by her husband Preston G. Thorpe; Mother Donna (nee Hedrix) Stevens and Father Harry Stevens.

She is a 1947 graduate of Parker High School, and graduated from Purdue University. She retired from AT&T Bell Labs, as a Software Engineer.

One of her true loves was Chicago, where she was born March 18, 1930.  Bonnie found immense joy in ballroom dancing and tap. 

She had a fond love of reading, crosswords, nature, traveling, camping, and working on the family genealogy.  She was a master seamstress and hated cooking.  Her favorite cookbook was “I hate to cook.”  We will forever remember her pot roast and spaghetti dinners, and her yearly pumpkin pies.  Above all, she was extremely intelligent, beautiful and the most stubborn person you would ever meet (said with love).  

We'll always remember her sitting on the couch with her favorite dog, Barney, while watching JEOPARDY and The Wheel of Fortune...as well as The Lawrence Welk Show on weekends.

At her request she was cremated and will be laid to rest with her husband who she was married to for 70 yrs. at Calumet Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be Thursday, October 23, 2025 at Hillside Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8941 Kleinman Rd (one block south of Ridge Rd) Highland, IN, 46322 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm with a Funeral Service at 12:30 pm. Burial to follow at Calumet Park Cemetery.

A heartfelt thank you to Dunes Hospice for the compassionate care they provided our Mother.

For additional information, please contact Hillside Funeral Home & Cremation Center Konnie Kuiper - Michael Kuiper-Vass by calling us at 219-838-0800 or visiting us at www.hillsidefhcares.com

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