Missouri State Rep. Charles Quincy Troupe (District 62) served twelve terms beginning in 1978,
Former Missouri Representative (District 62) and St. Louis Boad of Alderman (Ward 1) Charles Troupe died Thursday, June 29, 2023.
Charles Quincy Troupe was a native St. Louisan, born May 12, 1936, into a large family that contributed to the betterment of St. Louis’ Black community. He was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1978 and served 12 terms before term limits were enacted. His committee assignments included: Budget, Administration and Accounts, Commerce and Economic Development. He served as chair of the Social Services, Appropriation Committee, and on the subcommittee on the tobacco settlement. Troupe was also a Clinton-appointee to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). He served Ward 1 as Alderman from 2005-2013.
“Rep. Troupe served the city of St. Louis and the state of Missouri for decades,” said Michael McMillan, president & CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and a former alderman. “He was a master legislator and a consummate advocate for the best interests of African Americans and all oppressed groups,” said McMillan.
St. Louis Alderman Charles Troupe, served from 2005 to 2013.
His politics in the Missouri legislature and as a St. Louis Board of Alderman were informed by his activism. St. Louis American political columnist and former Alderman Mike Jones who knew Troupe back in the late 60s and early 70s said, “We were products of the Black power movement. He was older than me, but was not a part of the mainstream civil rights movement.”
Jones described Troupe as one of those pioneers who moved from activism to elective politics. “You’d always find Troupe on the cutting edge of political change, but he could also be a hard-headed serious politician at the same time,” he said.
“To me he had the right blend of activism and political acumen one needed to be successful and effective as a representative for Black people and Charles never deviated from that. He was the same guy, I met over 50 years ago,” said Jones.
Troupe is described as being a bridge between a Bill Clay Sr. brand of politics and one Jones saw as emerging from the Black power movement. In St. Louis of the 1980s, a few generations of Black political leadership came together. Jones offered the following observation, “Troupe comes from an era where politics was never personal, contentious, but not personal; people could disagree with people they liked, and work with people they didn’t like. Your ability to work with people was valued because that was the currency.”
As an elected official, Troupe approached politics from an intellectual standpoint. Jones added, “He was a very literate, well-informed, thoughtful guy.”
The Honorable Charles Quincy Troupe is survived by his sisters, Betty Troupe Frye and Sarah Troupe Ray; four children: Charles Quincy PoorThunder, Angela Jones, Paul Moody and Deidra Adams; cousins: Quincy Thomas Troupe and Alvin Wallace Troupe and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral arrangements are as follows: First Visitation at Austin Layne Renaissance on Thursday, July 13, 5-9 pm; Second Visitation at Kennerly Temple COGIC on Friday, July 14, 9-10am; Funeral Services at 10 am; and Interment at Jefferson Barracks.