Dwight R. Milne Jr., 93

Dr. Dwight R. Milne Jr. died peacefully on Sept. 29, 2015, after “an adventure-filled 93 years.’’

Raised on a dairy farm in Lockport, Illinois, he later joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II as a radio operator on a B-29 in the South Pacific. In 1951 he married Lauretta, who shared his sense of adventure, and together they had four sons.

Dwight had a varied career path as a trail builder in national parks, a cartographer in Central America, an apple orchardist near Lake Chelan, and then a biologist and professor of earth sciences. He had a teacher’s heart and instilled in his sons a passion for science, a respect for nature, and a spirit of adventure. He loved to hunt, fish, hike and travel, and was most at home in the great outdoors.

Dwight was the founding Dean of North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, New York. He later finished his administrative career as President of Flathead Valley Community College.

He passed away in Maple Valley, Washington, where family gathered for a celebration of his life.

Dwight was preceded in death by his son, Russell, and is survived by Lauretta, his wife of 64 years; sons, Dwight and wife Kim, Tim and wife Iris, Phil and wife Pattie; and grandchildren, Tatiana, Stefan, Alex, and Austin.