Averill Thayer

Averill Thayer passed away Friday, May 26, in Fairbanks at age 97.

Averill was independent and quiet. He valued family, solitude and being outdoors.

He and his sisters Janice, Joan and Virginia grew up in Oregon and Idaho, always on the move as their father chased work during the Depression. A lifelong hiker, canoeist, bicyclist, figure skater and skier, Averill learned to ski and mush dogs in the Sun Valley area. He left high school to serve with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II and sent money home to help support his family. He commented more than once that there were parallels between today's political climate and what he observed at the beginning of the Second World War, and it worried him.

After the war, he attended the University of Idaho on the GI Bill, enjoying climbing and skiing in the nearby mountains. Summers, he worked in Glacier National Park and in Alaska, helping build Eielson Air Force base.

Averill then moved to Alaska to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He had fond memories of working on Kalgin Island, living in a tent furnished with the ever-useful wooden Blazo Box.

Averill met and married his wife June in Anchorage in 1952. They had many adventures together, living on the Kuskokwim and Yukon Rivers and watching Alaska become the 49th state. In Kenai in 1964, Averill's navy experience on a rolling ship came in handy as he was the only family member who remained standing during the magnitude 9.2 Good Friday Earthquake. On the family's next trip to Anchorage, they had to wait until low tide on Cook Inlet, because the highway along Turnagain Arm had sunk and was flooded at high tide.

He supported the goals and endeavors of his wife; daughters Jill, Kate and Mary; and his five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren and was proud of them all. By example, he taught his family to value education and reading, to be safety conscious, to see another person's point of view, and to feel at home outdoors. A man of few words, when he spoke he made them count with thoughtful insights, encouragement and wonderful wry humor. He was a humble man who didn't talk much about himself, and his family often heard stories for the first time when others wrote about him in books such as Coming into the Country by John McPhee.

As a pilot and Fish and Wildlife Service agent, Averill flew over large stretches of remote Alaska counting animals and birds, working with trappers and hunters, and occasionally searching for lost planes. He worked out of Anchorage, McGrath, Fort Yukon and the Kenai Peninsula. In 1969, he was appointed the first refuge manager of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, moving to Fairbanks and serving in that role until 1982. During one flight in the Arctic, the engine of the government-owned Beaver came apart in midair. He prepared his passengers - conservationists Celia Hunter and Margaret Murie - and safely landed the floatplane on the tundra.

A strong advocate for the principles of the national wildlife refuge system, Averill supported scientific research and encouraged people to visit the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge while minimizing their impact so that those who followed would have the same experience. He opposed a misguided plan to erect igloo-shaped lodges in the refuge for use by wealthy hunters and instead emphasized that the land was open to all citizens.

As a writer and photographer, Thayer informed both the public and policy makers about the refuge. Alaska magazine published his tale of a solo trip down the Sheenjek and Porcupine Rivers.

In his navy Bible, Averill taped a clipping of life goals. For example: Never break your word. Never show off your greater knowledge. Never act superior to others. Keep from finding fault. Don't talk more than others. Anyone who knew Averill knows that he kept those goals that he valued as a 17-year-old sailor.

Averill was an inspiration in how to walk into your twilight years, accepting and adapting to the changes that age brings while continuing to pursue both longtime and new interests. In recent years, he followed the research on phytonocides, substances emitted by trees, as scientists proved what he had always known: that being near trees is good for human health.

Reminiscences are appreciated and can be sent to: Thayer, PO Box 81782, Fairbanks, AK 99708. The family thanks the staff of the Fairbanks Pioneer Home for their kindness and professional excellence.

It cannot be over-emphasized how much Averill Thayer valued his time outdoors. At his request, there will be no services. Instead, we encourage you to go outside, listen to the birds, watch the river flow, enjoy the flowers, sit under a tree, and breathe the Alaskan air.