Troyanne Camile Thigpen

Troyanne Camille Thigpen died on April 16, 2025, at the age of 79. Troyanne was a force of nature. She lived by the motto “trouble is only opportunity in work clothes,” and again and again she overcame difficult circumstances triumphantly. A natural leader, she had an exceptional ability to organize people, to rally the troops and inspire effective action for a cause. She was delighted to read once that she had the same personality type as Genghis Khan. Her family affectionately called her “The Conqueror Worm,” after the Edgar Allan Poe poem. Still, even with the command that inspired such epithets, she always exercised authority with grace and a relentless sense of justice. Her life was a mission of improvement, encompassing many domains—from organizations to architecture, from her own improbable long-term cancer survival to the welfare of animals. But most importantly, she improved the lives of individual people, in the ways that matter. Troyanne was born in Natchez, Mississippi on September 16, 1945. As a military dependent, she moved frequently, living in many U.S. states and Japan, but she always remained a Southern lady. After graduating salutatorian of her high school class, she attended LaGrange College for two years before transferring to the University of Georgia, where she graduated with a degree in Classics. She was an excellent student, and her professors recommended she go to graduate school—for which she was awarded a full scholarship to Bryn Mawr College—but instead she joined the U.S. Navy at the height of the Vietnam War. In the Navy, she was in the first group of women to be assigned to operational squadrons. At her first duty station, her commanding officer told her that women didn’t belong in the Navy, and he handed her a stack of women’s magazines to read until he could transfer her somewhere else. Instead of reading the magazines, she went around the office making friends with the other (male) sailors and reading all the rules and naval instructions she could. She quickly became the expert on Navy regulations and a valued asset to the other sailors. Her commanding officer decided not to transfer her after all. While in the Navy she met her husband of 50 years, Harvey Burkett. Harvey and Troyanne made an excellent team, complimenting each other’s strengths. They both loved deep discussions on a myriad of topics, and their favorite shared activities were landscaping and renovating houses. (And of course, shopping at Costco and Home Depot!) Troyanne had an eye for design, and Harvey had the engineering and construction skills to implement their ideas. They had a special ability to work together on their most important goals, no matter how near or far they were geographically from each other. They shared the same oblique wit. Their grandchildren called them “quantum entangled.” Troyanne made an indelible impression on many people’s lives. She was the protector and guide for her younger siblings, who call her their hero. She was a devoted mom to her two daughters—a tireless advocate, patient confidant, and unfailing model of love-in-action, hard work, creative problem solving, rational thought, sacrifice, and the driest of humor. She was deeply involved in politics for many years and worked steadfastly for fair and transparent elections. She also became involved in local schools, championing students’ wellbeing and education, realizing many improvements. She played an important role in the design of a beautiful library for Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado. Many former students remember her as the coach of Knowledge Bowl, a program she built up to be one of the best in Colorado, winning multiple state championships and going on to compete at the national level. Troyanne served in many roles at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church. She was a Eucharistic minister to the sick and elderly. She also mentored refugees from South Sudan, just as she had done for Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s. Troyanne loved nature, especially dogs, horses, and plants. Her extensive knowledge of nature, history, linguistics, and many other topics never failed to amaze. In 2003, Troyanne was diagnosed with stage 3B ovarian cancer and told she should expect to live less than six months. She researched all the cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials, and every time the cancer returned, she traveled to wherever she could get the best treatment. The cancer was finally cured, but eventually the treatments took a toll on her body from which she never recovered. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey Burkett, and brother, James Randolph “Randy” Thigpen. She is survived by her two sisters, Belle Green and Mary Thigpen (Robert “Bob” Respess); two daughters, Genevieve Burkett (Tyson Kackley) and Jane Burkett; and five grandchildren, Thomas, Hugh, John Rowan, Ailith and Anaïs. She could not have loved her family more. Donations may be made in her memory to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, https://ocrahope.org/, and the Wounded Warrior Project, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

Tributes

Troyanne Camile Thigpen

September 16, 1945 - April 16, 2025