Remembering Burt Thorp

Burt Michael Thorp, retired director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program and English instructor, scholar and educator, passed away this March. He was 74.

Born in San Diego, Burt was a deep thinker and a spiritual person, who was profoundly transformed by his experiences with meditation and extensive world travel. He was an avid reader, a Sanskrit scholar, and a historian of ancient religions. He challenged his students at the University of North Dakota to critically engage with nuanced ideas in classic works ranging from Shakespeare, Dickens and Keats, to the Old Testament and the Bhagavadgita.

Burt treasured his wife Melinda Leach, retired professor of anthropology at UND, and his son Leo. He also cherished his lifelong ties to family and friends in California, Nevada, New York, and North Dakota. He took great joy in family dinners, game nights, and listening to his son practice piano. He also loved to travel—one fond summer memory was the trip he took with Leo to Manhattan, spent enjoying Broadway plays and a lot of great pizza. In retirement, he took pleasure in his daily walk in Lincoln Park with the family’s rescue dog, Scout, solving New York Times crossword puzzles with Leo and Melinda, and watching Sci-Fi movies.

We will dearly miss his sense of humor, generosity, strong ethics, and intellectual curiosity.

Burt died peacefully at home with his family by his side, as he had wished. He is survived by his wife Melinda, son Leo, brother Jim, nieces Audrey, Alexandra and Chloe, nephews Connor, Austin, Andrew and Ben, and his cousin Christine.

For anyone who wishes to offer a tribute in his memory, we suggest a donation to your local public library.

Link to his memorial page:  https://www.weremember.com/burt-thorp/5v5t/memories