WE WILL NEVER FORGET

Jim Thrash, 44, of New Meadows, Idaho, grew up in Arizona. He loved baseball and hunting. He and his wife moved to Idaho in 1973. He taught high school Spanish and social studies, and coached varsity baseball. In 1981, after two years on a helitack crew, he joined the smokejumpers. He had 213 jumps.

Jim was very much at home in the backcountry. He and his wife owned and operated a big game hunting business in the mountains of west-central Idaho. Over the years, Jim was a key player in the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, serving on the board as vice president, and as president. He established himself as a good listener and reasoned voice, and used those talents to work for the preservation of Idaho's wildlands and to help outfitters, conservationists and land managers work together. He also understood and respected the role of fire in the ecosystem. Jim left behind his wife and two young children.