AUBURN — The Northern New England District of the Unitarian Universalist Association has selected a member of the Auburn UU congregation to receive the district’s coveted Unsung UU Hero Award. Bob Thorpe, nominated for recognition by the board of directors of the First Universalist Church of Auburn, has been chosen as the district’s recipient for 2011.

Thorpe was honored at the annual meeting and spring gathering of the NNED at a ceremony at the Red Jacket Inn in North Conway, N.H. on April 2. Several church members attended this regional function to show their deep appreciation for all that Thorpe has contributed to their church in his 50 years of dedicated service there.

The board’s nomination letter explained, “There is literally no aspect of church life that Bob has not positively and consistently impacted… His influence can be found from the crawl space under the vestry to our steeple and everything in between.” Since Thorpe is always thinking about the church, his wife, Cathy, no longer asks Bob if he needs to stop at the church — she just stops by automatically.

Thorpe’s influence is not only with the physical structure of church. Thorpe also lives his life based on Unitarian Universalist principles. He cherishes the church community as much as the workmanship of its historic building.

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