Lynn Jackson Horton Lynn Jackson (Jack) Horton passed away peacefully on October 4, at Blough Healthcare Center in Bethlehem. He was born on June 8, 1933 in San Bernardino, California to Lynn Abbott Horton and Mildred Marie Bucknum Horton. Although his given name was Lynn , throughout his life he was known as Jack . Three years after Jacks birth, a daughter, Marilyn, was born to Lynn Abbott and Mildred Horton. Jack and Marilyn would remain close buddies for the next 75 years. Marilyn resides in Red Bluff, CA. Since Jacks father was a forest ranger and worked for the U.S. Forest Service, Jacks early years were spent on several national forests including the San Bernardino National Forest, (Idlewild, CA, San Jacinto District), the Lassen National Forest (Susanville, CA), the Cleveland National Forest, (San Diego, CA) and the Mill Creek Ranger Station (ten miles from Redlands, CA.). Thus, from an early age he was introduced to the life of a forest ranger, together with fighting large wildland fires. These experiences greatly influenced his career choice. Jack received his second whiff of fire when at the age of 16 he began working for the California Division of Forestry, as a Forest Fighter crewman for the next two summers. In June 1951, Jack graduated from Redlands Union High School. The next year, he attended San Bernardino College for a year. At age 18, he began working summers for the U.S. Forest Service which he continued to do each summer throughout his college years. He started his career as a Tank Truck Operator in the San Bernardino National Forest, Fontana, CA. From there he advanced to a Fire Crew Foreman in the Shasta National Forests, McCloud, CA. In 1952, he transferred to Oregon State University and in June 1956 received a Bachelors Degree in Forestry. After graduation, he passed the Junior Foresters Exam and received an appointment with the U.S. Forest Service. Six days into his new job, he received an invitation from the U.S. Army to fulfill his military duty. He had been deferred during his college years. Jack spent two years in active duty with the Army. Most of his tour of duty was served as a member of the Signal Corps at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. Following his military service, Jack went back to work with the U.S. Forest Service. He served as Assistant Ranger and Forester on the Mt. Baldy, Arroyo Seco and Valyermo Districts of the Angeles Forest for four years. Following that, he became Assistant District Ranger on the Saugus District for three years. In 1964, he was appointed the District Forest Ranger in charge at the Newhall Ranger Station. This promotion put him in command of the 219,000-acre Saugus Ranger District. At the time of assuming this position, his supervisor described him as experienced in National Forest land management activities and Forest Fire Control and Prevention in Southern California and the Angeles National Forest. While serving at the Newhall Ranger Station, Jack also found time for a social life. He became a member of Hollywood Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA. There he met Barbara Lee Carmichael, who on June 26, 1965, became his wife. Together they had one daughter, Nancy Lee Horton, born November 16, 1967 in Los Angeles, CA. Nancy currently resides in Philadelphia, PA. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce. Advancing through his career, Jack worked as Fire Safety Officer for Region 5, which includes all of California during the late sixties and early seventies. His office was in San Francisco, while he and his family lived in Concord, CA. Because his first love was fire fighting, he requested that he be re-assigned to a position where he would again be battling wildland fires. He was assigned the position of District Ranger on the Modoc National Forest, where he remained from October 1971 to July 1978. During these years on the Modoc National Forest, Jack became the Safety Officer for Fire Team 4. Fire teams were part of a system developed to create a close working relationship among fire protection agencies battling a major wildfire. The team stayed together for a number of years and was called into action when needed. Relationships among the team members were cemented for a lifetime. Jack used the G.I. Bill to cover flying lessons and became proficient in single engine airplanes. He received his pilots license and later acquired his instrument rating, as well. In 1978, Jack received another promotion as a Forester at the U.S. Forest Services Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry, Fire Protection Unit in Radnor, Pennsylvania. He was soon promoted to a Program Administration Staff Specialist and was in charge of fire planning for twenty states across the United States. In addition, he was asked to attend budget meetings in Washington, D.C. He was frequently sent to various states where his fire fighting expertise was extremely valuable in the suppression of catastrophic forest fires. He remained in this assignment until his retirement in June 1994. At Jacks retirement luncheon, the program read With Jacks training, background, and knowledge, its very easy to see that he was an asset to the Forest Service. Through his dedication, mild mannered disposition, never allowing situations to upset him while the office was in a frenzy, for his integrity, for his gentlemanly ways, his dependability, (hes the one that you knew would be in the office if there was a snow storm), and his work standards, for all this and more, we will miss Jack! Jack will retire with 39 years of government service. Jack continued to be very active during his retirement. He volunteered his time with the U.S. Forest Service, rewriting the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program Desk Guide, which was published November 1998. The Fire and Aviation Management staff of the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C. acknowledged Jack on the first page of the guide saying (We) would like to extend our appreciation to Jack Horton, former employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Northeastern Region Area, who has devoted his time as a volunteer to complete this national Volunteer Fire Assistance Desk Guide. The national Guide is patterned after an earlier Northeastern Area Community Fire Protection Desk Guide, in which Jack also played a major role in developing. Jack was a member of Church of the Saviour, in Wayne, PA and was for years a table leader in the Focus program, part of the churchs singles ministry. It was there that Jack met his second wife, Marjorie (Ericks) Wolff. They were married in the church on November 1, 1997 and lived at 326 N. 30th St., Allentown, PA for the next fourteen years. Jack enjoyed walking three miles each day. He and Marj camped, hiked, canoed, sailed, walked and traveled together and enjoyed spending time with their combined five children and nine grandchildren. They were members of Faith Evangelical Free Church of Trexlertown, PA. Jack was a member of Toastmasters International, Society of Foresters and Firewardens, Society of American Foresters, the National Fire Protection Association and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. Survivors: He is survived by his wife Marjorie Horton of Allentown, PA; his daughter Nancy Horton of Philadelphia, PA; his sister Marilyn Horton of Red Bluff, CA; his ex-wife, Barbara Carmichael of Philadelphia, PA; two grandchildren, Amber and Ian Koshney of Philadelphia, PA; four step children, Phillip Wolff and his wife Grace Song of Decatur, GA; Andrew Wolff and his wife Atsuko Kabuto of Los Angeles, CA; Sharon Montanye and her husband Robert of Lansdale, PA and Deborah Busch and her husband David of Zionsville, PA . Services: A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 AM, Saturday, October 8th, at Schantz Funeral Home, P.C., 250 Main St., Emmaus, PA. Call between 10:00 and 11:00 AM at the funeral home. A luncheon will be held at the Buckeye Tavern 3741 Brookside Rd., Macungie, PA after the service. All are invited to gather there to celebrate Jacks life. Burial will be on November 4, 2011 at Bonanza Memorial Park Cemetery, Bonanza, OR. Online expressions of sympathy, comments or remembrances may be recorded at www.jackhorton.net or www.schantzfh.com Contributions: Memorial gifts may be directed to Lehigh Valley Hospice, 2166 South 12th St., Allentown, PA 18103 in Jacks name.