ROGER LEWIS GUERNSEY
June 5, 1920 - May 19, 2017
ROGER LEWIS GUERNSEY passed away quietly at the Idaho Veterans Home in Boise on May 19, 2017. A native Idahoan, he was Idaho State Forester, an Idaho legislator, and 28 years in the U. S. Army and Idaho Army National Guard. He was born on June 5, 1920, to Evon and Viola Sheldon Guernsey in Onaway, ID, 20 miles from Moscow. He decided in the 7th grade to become a forester. He graduated from Potlatch High School in 1938 and started forestry studies at the University of Idaho in 1939, interrupted by WWII. He served in Patton's 3rd army and was awarded a bronze star. He married Doris Louise Van Riper from Buhl, Idaho, 5 Feb, 1944. They had 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren. He graduated in Forestry in 1947 and became Idaho's chief State Forester. He served in the Idaho Army National Guard until 1982. In 1980, the Idaho Statesman named him a Distinguished Citizen.
He was a life member of the Boise Vista Lions Club, having first joined in 1960.
An avid golfer with 6 holes in one, he golfed his age 39 times. A charter member of Terrace Lakes Resort, his last golf outings were there in August 2016 at age 96, when he played 18 holes one day. In the 1980's he acquired two catch nicknames: Roger Dodger and "Landslide", from his election to the Idaho House.
The Guernsey-UI Outdoor Classroom for Woodlot Forestry, 47 acres located near Princeton, Id. was gifted to UI in 1987, also establishing the RLG Scholarship Endowment Fund, to help Idaho Forestry Students. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 68 years, Doris Louise (Billie Lou) and daughter Deana Kay Griffin, at age 37. He is survived by daughters Linda Tuley of Garden Valley, ID and Marilee Johnson (Ret USAF Lt. Gen. Chuck) of Arlington VA; grandson Bryan Tuley of Copper Mountain Colorado, grand daughters Danae Tuley of Washington DC and Dr. Andrea Johnson of Ramstein AFB, Germany and former son in law Dean of Twin Falls. There will be a late June celebration of his life at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise. For a complete obituary and details/date about the memorial service, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.bowmanfuneral.com/listings" http://www.bowmanfuneral.com. The family asks in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the RLG Scholarship Trust Fund at the U of I.
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