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Howard Wayne Thornton, age 60, of Albuquerque died Wednesday, December 19, 2007, after a 12-year battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Betty Thornton of Albuquerque; by his daughter and son-in-law, Jill Elizabeth Corbeille and Wayne Corbeille of Las Vegas, NV; by his two brothers, Donnie Earnest of Sacramento, CA, and Richard Earnest of Butner, NC; and by his sister, Fran Earnest Bratton of Sacramento, CA. Wayne was born in Wewoka, OK, and graduated from Lovington High School, Lovington, NM, in 1965. He served in the US Navy during the Vietnam era aboard a nuclear fast-attack submarine, and was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal. After the Navy Wayne attended Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR, and graduated with a Bachelor of Forestry degree in 1974. He then attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, on a fellowship and received a Master's of Science in Forestry in 1975. His career with the US Forest Service spanned over a 34-year period. Wayne's various jobs included: Wildland Firefighter Crew Foreman; Helicopter-Attack Foreman; Recreation & Lands Staff; Silviculturist; District Ranger, National Wilderness Legislation Coordinator; Legislative Fellow to Senator Pete V. Domenici; Forest Supervisor; and Regional Director of Lands & Minerals for New Mexico and Arizona. He worked on the Siuslaw NF in OR; the Coconino NF in AZ; the Cibola NF in NM; Washington, DC; the Plumas NF in CA; and the Regional Office in Albuquerque. While with the U.S. Forest Service he earned another Master's Degree in 1981 in Natural Resource Economics at Michigan State University. Wayne loved his work with the Forest Service, and was particularly proud of his special one-year Forest Service assignment with Senator Pete Domenici; his participation as Forest Service team leader to acquire the Baca Ranch Land and cooperation with Congress to manage the Valles Caldera National Preserve - the unique volcanic caldera in Northern New Mexico; and serving as lead field negotiator for the Forest Service for settlements of land claims by the Pueblo of Sandia and the Pueblo of San Ildefonso. Wayne devotedly practiced his faith and always lived his life to the fullest - an active church member teaching Bible study to adults and children, serving as a Deacon, and participating in many other church-related activities. He was an avid mountain bike and road bike racer; loved to kayak, fish, hike and camp; and kept up with his rock climbing at the Stone Age Climbing Gym until the last few months of his life. He is also the author and illustrator of a published children's folktale entitled, "A Cat Named Fish and a Fish Named Cat." A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, December 28, 2007, 10:00 a.m. at Hoffmantown Church, 8888 Harper Dr., NE. Interment will follow at 3:00 p.m. at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation, 4901 Lang Ave., NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. The NMCC Foundation, a non-profit Organization, supports New Mexico cancer patients who need financial assistance during their battle against cancer. French Mortuary, Inc. 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE (505) 275-3500 www.frenchmortuary.com
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