[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 14, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN MEMORY OF RAY THORN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALAN S. LOWENTHAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2016

  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, Ray Karl Thorn was born March 20, 1946 
and passed away August 27, 2016. A loving husband, father, and 
grandfather, he was a ray of sunshine to all who knew him.
   As a community leader, Ray was one of the founding members of the 
Friends of Colorado Lagoon (FOCL). He was instrumental in the 
successful litigation that saved the lagoon from a flawed storm drain 
project, which would have precluded any restoration.
   He then led the group's pivot towards collaboration and relationship 
building, creating the strong partnerships that FOCL still enjoys with 
the city, port, and regional groups. He was FOCL president for five 
critical years during the time when the group was fighting to convince 
the city and regional leaders that restoring the lagoon's historic open 
waterway was essential to the community and environment.
   His relationships with the City of Long Beach Parks, Recreation, and 
Marine directors gave FOCL credibility and helped the group move 
forward when there were many projects competing for funding. In later 
years Ray continued to serve as a board member and leader for FOCL as 
the group successfully restored vital wetland habitat, helped transform 
the lagoon from having the worst water quality in Long Beach to the 
best, and educated the public about the importance of wetlands. The 
final vision of the lagoon as a clean jewel of Long Beach would not 
have been possible without Ray's efforts.
   Born in Tooele, Utah to Roe and Lydia Thorn, he was the fourth of 
five children. Ray grew up in Springville, Utah and graduated from 
Springville High School. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Brigham 
Young University (BYU) in Sociology and a Master's Degree from BYU in 
Organizational Behavior.
   It was also at BYU that Ray met his future wife Becky Asher. Their 
marriage of 44 years was a positive example for many that knew them 
because of their devotion to each other and their commitment to 
creating and maintaining a strong marriage. Their only daughter, Nicole 
Thorn, was born in 1979 and their grandson, Leif, was born to Nicole 
Thorn and Steve Stern in 2010. Ray spent much of his time with them, 
for they were a source of joy in his life.
   Ray loved the outdoors and was a beautiful downhill and avid cross 
country skier. He loved spending time in the mountains, on the beaches, 
hiking, bike riding, and rollerblading. Ray loved animals and enjoyed 
evenings throwing the Frisbee or ball for this dogs and teaching them 
new tricks. He was devoted to his wife and family and cherished the 
vacations, road trips, and camping trips they took together. He loved 
adventures: walking on thin ice to see under-ice whirlpools, rafting in 
a lake during a lightning storm, driving through rivers, sneaking into 
places to find the best sledding hill, and off-roading for the fun of 
it.
   He was an excellent communicator both in his work and personal life, 
bringing people together and making them feel valued and understood. As 
an Organizational Behavior Consultant, Ray worked for over 40 years 
with business, governmental, and educational institutions. He assisted 
leaders, teams, and organizations to improve their culture, norms, and 
working relationships.
   Ray had a gift for helping people communicate. He coached them to 
better understand each other, to enhance their levels of trust and 
openness, and to engage in productive problem solving. As a coach, 
trainer, and team builder, he assisted thousands of leaders from 
multiple organizations across the country and abroad. He led them to 
respect and utilize their differences in order to compliment rather 
than compete with one another, freeing them to create and maintain 
supportive teamwork.
   Ray is survived by his wife Becky Thorn, his daughter Nicole Thorn, 
his grandson Leif Thorn-Stern, his son-in-law Steve Stern, and his 
sister Maris Grotegut.
   He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

                          ____________________