Vanessa was born on May 6th, 1967 and passed away suddenly on December 26th a day after celebrating a very happy Christmas with Mom; Veronica Thorpe and Step Father; William Thorpe. Vanessa was a beautiful person and was loved and will be missed by so many. During her short stay on this earth she accomplished so much. She became the first black woman to ever be accepted into the Navy's Nuclear Power Program that led her to be an instructor at the Nuclear Power School; in Orlando, Florida. Vanessa loved education and never stopped learning; she received her Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering, Masters in Computer Science and Masters in Internet Technology. Vanessa made a career in the Navy and retired in 2013 at the rank of Commander. Vanessa is survived by her Mother Veronica Thorpe, Step Father William Thorpe, Father Charles Jones, Step Grandmother; Florence McRae, many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and her fur babies Alfie and Evie. Rest well my baby, thank you for all the wonderful memories and years we shared together. Love Mom.