Thorp, Eleanor S. “Schatze” December 28, 1936 - March 1, 2026

Eleanor “Schatze” Thorp Obituary

Eleanor “Schatze” Thorp passed from this life on March 1st, 2026 in Bronxville, New York. She was 89 years old.

Schatze was born in Nashville, Tennessee on December 28th 1936. She spent her early years in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was raised in Richmond, Virginia and attended St. Anne’s School for Girls in Charlottesville. Schatze graduated from Sweet Briar College in 1958. After graduation, she moved to New York City and landed her first job as a secretary at The New Yorker magazine. She met her husband Peter Thorp in New York and they started a loving relationship that would last for 63 years. Peter and Schatze were married on January 27, 1963. They moved together to Bronxville, New York in 1968 where they raised their three daughters. Schatze contributed her leadership skills to many organizations in Bronxville, from the PTA to Gramatan Village. The organization that meant the most to Schatze was The Reformed Church of Bronxville, where she served as an elder and also worked on staff as the volunteer coordinator. In addition to her volunteer work, Schatze built a successful career as a travel agent, first in Bronxville and eventually in New York City.

More than any job, Schatze cherished her role as a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She loved her husband and family and treasured her time with her children and grandchildren, taking walks, playing cards, and sharing stories with them. In addition to her rich life in Bronxville, Peter and Schatze spent many happy summers in Dennis, Massachusetts. Their days on Cape Cod were filled with walks on the beach and watching sunsets from the deck of their home overlooking the cranberry bogs.

Schatze spent most of her life in New York, but she remained in her heart a southern lady. She was known by her many friends for her impeccable manners, beauty, sense of humor and love of good conversation. She was a great athlete, playing tennis at the Bronxville Field Club, and spending later years on the golf course with Peter. Schatze loved games and puzzles, completing The New York Times Sunday crossword in pen each week and winning at bridge even into her last years of life. Schatze will be remembered for her indomitable spirit, her faith, and her love for her husband and family.

Schatze is survived by her husband Peter, her daughters Ridgely Donohue (Darryl), Victoria Thorp (Jim Migdal), and Lindsay Rentz (Larry), her grandchildren Peter (Abby), Timmy (Bianca), and Teddy Donohue, Eliza and Blair Migdal, Eleanor and Henry Rentz, and her great-grand son Henry Donohue. She was predeceased by her parents, William and Nancy St. Clair and her older sister, Nancy Talley.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Capabilities, an organization in Dennis, Massachusetts that is special for Schatze and Peter.

A service will be held for Schatze at The Reformed Church of Bronxville at 11am on Saturday, March 7th. Immediately following the service, all are welcome to a reception in the Edwards Room at the church.