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Mark Miller Thueson, 51, resident of Tijeras, NM from 1990 rough January 1, 2000, died of a fatal heart attack in Boise, ID on August 6, 2006. Mark was born January 17, 1955, in Murray, Utah, the son of Aaron Thueson and Merle E. Miller. His parents preceded him in death. Beloved daughter, Sarah Holding McDaniel, and grandson, Braxton McDaniel survive him as do Sarah's husband, Mark McDaniel, and her mother, Deborah (Holding) Dean. Four brothers, John and wife Kathy Thueson of Sandy, UT; Brent and wife Sharon Thueson of Salt Lake City, UT; Craig and wife Marj Thueson of Sandy, UT; and Con and wife Tracy Thueson of Bountiful UT survive Mark. A sister, Ann Thueson Noonchester, and husband Mike of Las Cruces, NM also survive Mark as do numerous nieces and nephews. Family, friends and colleagues will dearly miss Mark and his wry sense of humor. Mark Thueson had several careers. He was a commercial whitewater guide in Moab, UT during the mid 70's through the late 80's. He also owned and operated a whitewater rafting company in the late seventies in the Seattle, WA area. While there, Mark made the first successful descent of Tumwater Canyon on the Wenatchee River. His is the sole successful run of Tumwater Canyon in a "bucket" boat - if not the only successful run in a raft. Mark was one of the top three or four whitewater guides of his time. He spent 20 years as a guide and ten years as a private boater. He swam out of sport yaks, duckies (one notable time on a class V river in Costa Rica), hardshells and rafts. However, he never flipped a boat during his 33 years of boating. Mark could row and drive a boat in any condition at any water level. Mark spent the Cataract 100,000 cfs years driving J-Rigs for Tag-a-Long Tours. He quoted Verle Green often: "If there had been just one more gallon of water in the river, I wouldn't have gone down the son-of-a-gun!" Mark saved our rears and made us laugh inspite of everything. More important, he laughed and cried with us often. Mark's heart was so big it often broke. He was kind and generous to a fault. He was stubborn, hard and selfish to a fault. He was often a jerk to himself and it occasionally overflowed to others. He was a technician and he beat himself to death when he made a mistake. He didn't hold his pain gently, and none of us could hold it for him. Mark was human. He is loved. Mr. Thueson's winter occupation was ski patrolling. Mark spent eight years ('81-'90) patrolling at Solitude Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT. Mark loved running the Milk Run avalanche control route and firing the Navarone gun across Honeycomb Canyon to dislodge the cornice. Upon arriving in Albuquerque, NM (where he was married to Lorri Knight for ten years) in January of 1990, Mr. Thueson obtained a job patrolling at Sandia Peak Ski Area. He was promoted to Ski Patrol Director there in spring of 1990 - "Patrol One". Mark was the longest term Pro Patrol Director at Sandia Peak. He worked in that capacity for ten years, upgrading and instituting many patrol operations. He was named Pro Patroller of the year several times. In January 2000, Mark Thueson earned his EMT-I license. He excelled in the fast pace and quick thinking required by emergency medicine. Mark received many letters of gratitude from his patients for his skill, kindness, and compassion. Mr. Thueson moved to Boise, ID in February of 2000. There, he was a Hill Captain of the Bogus Basin Ski Patrol where he was nominated in 2003 for National Ski Patroller of the Year. Mark worked in the summers for Mackay Tours as head boatman on Snake River's Hell's Canyon. He loved the clear water, steelhead fishing, and sweep boat running. However, he longed for the "thick" water of the Colorado - his "home". Mark also spent time scuba diving in Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras. The Cloverdale Funeral Home of Boise, ID, performed cremation on August, 10, 2006. Graveside memorial services will be held in SLC, UT on Monday, August 28 at noon at the Elysian Gardens Cemetery. A memorial service is also being arranged to take place at Sandia Peak Ski Area on September 17, 2006. Time will appear in an early September obituary.
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