Page 28 — THE CONWAY DAILY SUN, Friday, July 1, 2011
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– OBITUARIES –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Thaddeus Thorne
Thaddeus Thorne, surveyor, businessman, forester, fisherman, community leader, ski industry pioneer, entrepreneur, and beloved patriarch, died on Saturday, June 25, 2011, at his home in South Conway, with many of his large family at his bedside. Born May 25, 1924, in Pasadena, Calif., Thad was the eldest child of Harold W. and Margaret Comstock Thorne. He grew up in New Canaan, Conn., and spent his summers on Conway Lake in New Hampshire. When the U.S. entered World War II, Thad enlisted in the newly activated 10th Mountain Division, training on skis at Camp Hale in Colorado. As an army lieutenant, Thad saw action in the Pacific and was involved in the occupation of Japan. In 1951, he was recalled to duty and stationed in Germany. After World War II, Thad graduated from the forestry program at the University of New Hampshire, where he met his future wife, Virginia Chandler. They were married in 1949. He went on to earn a master's degree in forestry from the University of Michigan and then moved back to South Conway, where he and Virginia bought an old farmhouse and raised seven children. Thad enjoyed physical labor, clearing fields around his house, often pulling out the logs with his team of oxen. When Thad first moved to South Conway in the early 1950s, he opened his own survey business, Thaddeus Thorne Surveys. One of his earliest projects took him to Panama, where he explored and surveyed an extensive tract of land. Throughout his life Thad was involved in many aspects of the ski business. He ran the ski patrol at Wildcat, took part in the original planning of Attitash Mountain, served as president and general manager of the Attitash Ski Area for over 20 years, and designed ski trails for many resorts throughout New England. When Thad retired from the ski business he began a lumber milling business, which he enjoyed running for the next fifteen years. In addition, he spent many summers working as a commercial salmon fisherman in Alaska. For numerous years he also served the Conway community as both a selectman and member of the Planning Board. More
recently, he took pride in his role as chair of the fund-raising campaign to build the Ham Ice Arena in the Mount Washington Valley. Thad loved his large family. He cherished time spent with his many grandchildren. He traveled to places like Fiji, China, and Costa Rica with his adventurous relatives. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, skied the Haute Route across the Alps from France to Italy, and explored the jungles of Samoa. He especially loved fly-fishing in the New Hampshire lakes and rivers. As an outdoorsman and nature lover, Thad believed strongly in permanently protecting the lands and waters that enriched his life. Before he died, he placed most of his land in conservation easement. Thad Thorne will be remembered for his accomplishments, about which he was most humble, but also for his strong, persuasive and engaging personality. His was always a hearty greeting and firm handshake. He told a great story. He had an iron sense of ethics, unswayed by money or position. He was accepting of everyone, and formed strong bonds with the people he met through his many pursuits. All who knew him will miss his extraordinary presence. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Virginia Chandler Thorne; his two sisters, Mary Thorne Gould and Lydia Thorne Lucy and their husbands, Kingdon Gould, Jr. and Chester Lucy; his brother, Harold Thorne and wife, Evelyn McKinstry; his seven children, September Thorne Neville and husband, Richard, Halorie Thorne Rintel and husband, Theodor, Harvest Thorne Doucette and husband, James, Debony Thorne, Trillium Thorne Evans and husband, Mark, Thaddeus C. Thorne and wife, Elizabeth, and Jason Thorne; 22 grandchildren; and one great grandson. A celebration of Thad Thorne’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, at the Thorne Residence at 312 Gulf Road in South Conway. In lieu of flowers, donations in Thad’s memory may be made to: The Upper Saco Valley Land Trust, PO Box 424, North Conway, NH, 03860 or The Ham Ice Arena, 87 West Main Street, Conway, NH, 03818.
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Barbara (Drinkwater) 'Bunny' Eldridge
Barbara (Drinkwater) "Bunny" Eldridge, 86, passed away Sunday, June 12, 2011, at Mountain View Nursing Home in Ossipee. Graveside services will be held Sunday, July 3, at 2 p.m. at Lakeview Cemetery in Freedom. In case of rain, the service will be held at the First Christian Church in Freedom Village. Friendship and refreshments will follow at the Freedom Town Hall. Join the family in this celebration of her life as July 3 in Bunny’s birthday.
Free interpretive programs at Russell Colbath Homestead
ALBANY — In partnership with the White Mountains Interpretive Association, the Saco Ranger District of the White Mountain National Forest will host natural and cultural history programs at the RussellColbath Historic Homestead every Saturday evening in July, August, and September. These free interpretive programs will be held at 7 p.m., or as noted, at the Russell-Colbath Historic Homestead Barn, 12 miles west of Conway, on the Kancamagus Scenic Byway (NH Route112). The schedule of speakers is as follows: July 2: Bob Kilham, historian and musician, 19th Century Music; July 9: Elaine Swett, US Forest Service, mineral collecting; July 16: Jana Johnson, US Forest Service, “Building the Trails you Hike On;” July 23: Carol Felice, herbalist, wild, rdible, and medicinal Plants; July 30: Mark Mageles, Mike Carifio, and K9 Hercules, “Protecting your National Forest;” Aug. 6: Ed Fayle, storyteller and educator; Aug. 13: Jen Moulton, teacher, ranger, teacher, “Hike the AT;” Aug. 20: Dick Fortin, forester and historian, yankee lumberjack; Aug. 27: Jeff Liche, executive director, NE Ski Museum, CCC Ski Trails of the White Mountains; Sept. 3: Bob Kilham, musician and historian, 19th century music; Sept. 10: Steve VanSyckel, Cooper, Woodworking by Hand, (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.); Sept. 17: “N.H. Spinners, Spinning and Spinning Wheels,” (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.); and Sept. 24: National Public Lands Day, U.S. Forest Service Staff (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Saturday evening programs also take place at Campton, Russell Pond, and Dolly Copp Campgrounds and Weeks State Park. For a complete listing of programs visit the White Mountain National Forest website at: www.fs.fed.us/r9/white or contact the Saco Ranger Station at (603) 447-5448 or TTY (603) 447-3121.
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