All of those traits were seen in the multiple instances in which he also exhibited great courage. Roger, along with former executive minister of World Mission Curt Peterson, were nearly killed when they were taken hostage by a militia during an uprising in Kinshasa in 2007. Both barely managed to escape amid the chaos. They shared their story in a Companion article published that year.

Prior to their capture, they had been sheltered in the police station while fighting continued around them. The article noted that, “For Roger, almost as bad as the tension of being under fire was the feeling of helplessness. He wanted to help but had nothing with him—no bandages, no needles, no stethoscope, no sutures. There was nothing he could do to help the wounded. It was a feeling that ate at him as he waited.”

“Our experience in the valley of the shadow of death in Kinshasa in 2007 bonded us as brothers,” Peterson said. “From that day on we greeted each other with comforting hugs, asking ‘How are you doing?’ and sharing recurring dreams of the trauma. We also shared with gratitude the deep awareness of the grace and peace of God during those days. I’m thankful that Roger had nearly a decade more time to love and serve Christ, his family and his beloved Covenant church.”

The Thorpes were called to missionary service in 1965 and began serving in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1966. They served primarily at the Karawa station, where Roger performed an average of two to three surgeries a day along with doing other patient evaluations. Additionally he served as the medical director at the Karawa Hospital, taught at the auxiliary nurses’ school six to ten hours a week, and mentored several Congolese doctors. At one point, he was the only physician serving an area the size of Indiana and Illinois combined.

“His extraordinary skills as a surgeon and tropical medicine physician saved the lives of countless men, women and children,” Peterson recalled. “One of his greatest joys was seeing some of his former students serving with distinction in clinics and hospitals in recent years. Roger was always the teacher, always the encourager.”

In 1994, the Thorpes received the Commander of the National Order of Zaire award, which was one of the highest honors given in that country. The couple was named Alumni of the Year at North Park University in 2001 and received the Paul Carlson Award, named for the slain missionary physician, at the 2008 ECC Annual Meeting.

Roger felt the call to missionary service by the time he was in the eighth grade. He decided the summer before starting college that he also wanted to combine that ministry with a medical career.

Roger was a good friend and faithful supporter of Paul Carlson Partnership, and he will be missed greatly by PCP and the people of Congo. Peace be to his memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be sent to Paul Carlson Partnership, Covenant World Mission, or to North Park Covenant Church.

To read the complete obituary, click here.