Bruce Alan Courtright

Bruce Alan Courtright was born in Glenridge, New Jersey on February 24, 1939 and died in Yreka, California on May 10, 2023 after a long fight with a bone marrow disease. Despite this, he was always cheerful, optimistic, funny, brain and street smart, caring and considerate. He never complained, despite being in pain the last 10 years of his life. He was energetic and a great communicator, and knew how to make a complex idea understandable for everyone. He mentored generations of Forest Service leaders and employees. He could go to sleep in a few minutes, snoring like a champ. He loved to eat and hang out with friends, read voraciously, mostly thrillers. His nickname as a child was "Nature Boy." He started birdwatching at a young age, and loved to hike, fish and canoe. Bruce had a long career in federal service. After high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, Strategic Air Command. He planned to become a Wildlife Biologist after military service, but changed course and graduated with a degree in Industrial Relations and graduate work in Organization Psychology. Bruce started working for the U.S. Forest Service in 1963, as Forest Personnel Officer on National Forests in Idaho, Wisconsin and North Carolina. He subsequently became Regional Training Officer in State and Private Forestry in Atlanta, Georgia and ended his federal career at the USFS Washington Office, as Chief for Management Improvement, splitting his time between working for the Chief of the Forest Service and the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. He was well known nationwide for leadership training and facilitating positive organizational change. He was an early champion of moving women into Forest Service management positions. After Bruce retired from the Forest Service in 1985, he moved to Siskiyou County, California where he married Catherine Barash. He formed a national consulting group with Mack Moore, focused on leadership training, conflict resolution and strategic planning. Bruce continued this work until 2010 when he became chair of a consortium of local Fire Safe Councils and founded the National Wildfire Institute. Saving our national forests for future generations and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire was his passion. He and his board drafted bills, put on workshops and lobbied tirelessly both in and outside federal and state government to improve the health and fire resilience of the nation's wildland areas. He was also instrumental in developing a process for including community liaisons during planning large wildfire suppression campaigns. Bruce and Catherine lived nearly 30 years near Fort Jones, California on the edge of the Marble Mountain Wilderness. He is survived by Catherine, his 2 daughters, Susan and Tammy, 3 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. A Celebration of Life will be held on June 17, 2023 from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm at Lower Greenhorn Park in Yreka, California.

Bruce Alan Courtright

February 24, 1939 - May 10, 2023