Chloe Laugherty

On December 19, 2015 at the age of 99, Chloe Thorp Laugherty's journey ended here on earth.. She was born on March 26, 1916 in Blanket, Texas to Annie and Leonard Bird. Chloe grew up in Blanket, among two brothers and one sister. Tragically another sister Gladys died before Chloe was born. Chloe attended Howard Payne University and received the honor of Best All Around Athlete. She was also a basketball referee for many of the schools around Brownwood. In 1939, Chloe transferred to Texas Women’s University where she graduated with a BS in Home Economics and began her teaching career in Ballinger Texas.

In November 1940 she married Charles Walker Thorp of Ballinger, Texas. Charles volunteered for the Army and Chloe followed him to Camp Rucker Alabama, and there she became a dietician and then a medical technician. When Charles left for the Pacific Chloe returned home to Blanket to live with her parents and sister and became a lab technician at Brownwood Medical Arts Hospital.

When Charles returned from the Pacific he joined Humble Oil. Chloe and Charles raised their family in West Texas. Their daughters, Mikey and Janis attended Jr. High and High School in Abilene Texas. Chloe taught Home Economics for thirty-five years while in Texas and spent much of her free time playing golf with Charles and attending her daughter’s band and theater performances. Later in Charles’ career and after Chloe’s retirement they transferred to Oklahoma. Chloe filled her time working at a small boutique, and making life-long friends. One of Charles last transfers was when he was on loan from Exxon to Esso in London England. They lived in Woking, England for two years. Chloe flew the American flag everyday and introduced the neighborhood kids to the American lunches of peanut and jelly sandwiches. In retirement they lived a full social and energetic life in Runaway Bay golfing community outside of Ft. Worth.

Chloe and Charles have two daughters, Mikey and her husband Ret. Col. James D. Herndon of Austin, and Janis and her husband Marshall Durham, Jr., of New Braunfels, grandchildren, Tiffany Durham, Kim Durham and Rob Mendiola, and Trace Durham and his wife Sharon. Chloe’s true joys in life are her five great-grandchildren Marshall, Braden, and Bennett Durham, and Chloe and Carlos Mendiola all of San Antonio. Chloe also has two step-grandchildren James V. Herndon and his wife Junnette, and Blake and his wife Cindy Herndon.

Chloe moved to Austin after losing Charles to Leukemia in 1990. They had been married three months shy of their 50th Wedding Anniversary. She was later married to Loyd Laugherty and they have resided in Austin and traveled the world.

Chloe was a volunteer for Ronald McDonald House for fifteen years. She was a member of Riverbend Church and could be seen wearing a hat to Sunday services. Chloe was always the best dressed and accessorized person in every room. To stay active she attended Water Aerobics at the YMCA, continued to sew-making curtains for her granddaughter’s home and even challenged herself to learn to play the auto harp.

She is preceded in death by husband Charles Walker Thorp, brothers T.C. Bird and his wife Helen, Roy Bird and his wife Mary, and sisters Gladys, and Maurine and her husband W. C. Underwood, and parents Annie and Leonard Bird.

Chloe leaves a legacy of always caring for her neighbors and would host British Tea Parties to the neighborhood girls. Chloe was the first one to care for friends and loved ones in their times of need. Being a friend was what she did best and she never failed to make a stranger her friend. Chloe could get a person’s whole life story in one elevator ride. She has lived a wonderful life and left people she meets always wanting to be her friend whether they are young or old. Her motto she has lived her life by is “Live your life like your pants are on fire” and oh how she has lived.

To read more about Chloe please visit our website at www.cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com, where you can also share condolences and memories with the family.