H. Wayne Kessler |
| Posted 2008-02-02 by Judy Wight Branson |
| Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Saturday, January 26, 2008 H. Wayne Kessler passed away at his home in Prescott on Jan. 21, 2008, at the age of 96. Wayne was born in Jamestown, Ind., on April 8, 1911. In 1913, his family moved to southern California, where they established family farms in Imperial Valley. In 1929, Wayne graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School as class president and had excelled at sports. His teams became California state champions in football and track. He went on to play college football and track. He was an alumnus of the class of 1935 College of Agriculture, University of Arizona. During World War II, Wayne served as First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the headquarters staff of the IV Armored Corps. Wayne’s entire professional career was devoted to the field of natural resources conservation on the local, state and national level. He worked with the U.S. Indian Service, U.S. Grazing Service, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Department of Vocational Agriculture and Arizona State Land Department as Director of the Division of Natural Resources for 24 years. He was co-founder of the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop for Arizona Youth (NRCWAY). After retirement in 1974, he devoted another 28 years to public service conservation programs. He believed in working with the people living on the land to advance soil and water conservation. Wayne was instrumental in establishing Natural Resources Conservation Districts, which cover all of Arizona. He was chairman of the Arizona Council of RC&D areas and Chairman of the Agua Fria-New River NRCD where he served as District Supervisor for 28 years. Wayne served as President, Life Member and Fellow of the International Soil and Water Conservation Society, was a Life Member, Fellow and President of the International Society of Range Management, President and Executive Director of the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts. Wayne received many awards from local, state and international organizations for his energetic and unselfish devotion to the causes of soil, water and natural resources conservation. These include the Distinguished Service Awards from the National Association of Conservation Districts and from the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, honoring Wayne as “one of Arizona’s and America’s outstanding conservationists.” In 1965, Arizona Governor Fannin presented Wayne with the “Arizona Conservationist of the Year” award for “outstanding contributions to the use and management of the nation’s natural resources.” His wife Irleen preceded him in death in 1987. He is survived by a daughter, Elaine Baker of San Jose, Calif., and by a son, Alan Kessler of Mayer, Ariz. A private memorial service will be at Hope Garden at Greenwood Memorial Park in Phoenix. Information provided by survivors. |
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