Raymond P. Thorne

1945 - 2021

The world bid farewell to one of its great characters on December 30, 2020, as Raymond P Thorne, of Salem, Oregon and Glendale, Arizona passed away in Arizona. With a personality bursting at the seams, Ray lit up any room he entered with his smile, voice, charisma, and mischievous sense of humor. Ray brought equal passion to hard work, good times and spread that same full-measured pursuit of life to all who had the luck to know and love him.

Ray was born on March 30, 1945 in Newell, California to Walter and Bernice Thorne, the youngest of six children. He was raised in Klamath Falls, where he developed a lasting love for the outdoors. After graduating from Klamath Union High School (KUHS) and Oregon State University, he returned to Klamath Falls to teach biology and anatomy and physiology at KUHS, Mazama High School and Oregon Institute of Technology.

He married Alexis Drew in 1964 and together they had a daughter, Valerie. They later divorced.

In 1969, as a result of a motor vehicle accident, Ray became paraplegic. After many months of rehabilitation, he returned to teaching. With the biology lab on the second floor of KUHS--and this being prior to the ADA--Ray's students carried him up and down the stairs in his wheelchair to his classroom. Many of those students remained lifelong friends.

Long after his days in the classroom, Ray stayed a teacher at heart, sharing his deep knowledge of the natural world whether in the wilderness or back yard. Ever fond of a well-placed practical joke, Ray sprinkled just enough playful fabrications into the wisdom he dispensed to keep friends and family perpetually on their toes.

At the age of 29, Ray was elected a county commissioner in Klamath County. In 1977, Governor Straub appointed Ray to be the administrator of the Oregon Employment Division. Ray served in that role for 10 years and later worked for the Oregon State Treasury and the Vocational Rehabilitation Division before retiring in 1997.

Ray married Jean Immel in 1980. They welcomed their son, Gregory, in 1984.

A master storyteller and grade-A jokester, Ray was routinely the life of the party and had a well-earned reputation for burning up the dance floor with his daring wheelies. He was always the most popular man on the dance floor. Ray was quick to turn strangers into friends and showed a big heart and generous spirit with loved ones. He instilled a perseverance, curiosity, and dedication to doing a job right in his students, colleagues, and family and took great pride in seeing how those lessons flourished with his children and granddaughter.

As an athlete and sports fan since his youth, Ray held enduring support for his Beavers. He relished the Beavs' victories against friends and families' alma maters and, especially, over the Ducks. Ray also harbored a famous soft spot for dogs and, through ample treats and obvious affection, was a clear favorite among canine members of friends and family.

Ray remained an ardent outdoorsman throughout his life, pursuing and passing on a love for hunting, fishing, and admiring wildlife. He had an uncanny knack for spotting birds, deer and assorted other critters, often catching sight of an animal in a flash, then patiently explaining the location as others searched with the aid of binoculars. An outstanding marksman, Ray adhered to a strict one-bullet-per-season efficiency and was apt to turn the butchering he did himself into an anatomy lesson for those nearby.

Ray truly enjoyed living. He made the most of every day. When there was a challenge, he would rise above it. He inspired many people over the years with his can-do attitude, larger than life personality and kind heart.

Ray was predeceased by his parents, his brother Walter III (Bud) and his sister Sally Day.

He is survived by his wife Jean Thorne, his daughter Valerie Thorne (Martin Gentzkow), his son Greg Thorne (Annie Lockard) and his granddaughter Lauren LeMieux. In addition, his sisters Alice Lewis (Chuck), Evelyn Brajevich (Mike), Marilyn Kennedy, brother-in-law James Day and many nieces and nephews survive him. He leaves these family members, and all those whose lives he touched, with a mountain of fond, colorful memories.

A Celebration of Life and joyous recounting of stories will be held at a later time in Oregon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Marion Polk Food Share or the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund.