Wayne Courtney

            Smart, helpful and the epitome of a hard worker, J. Wayne Courtney (68) of Twin Falls died too soon on August 5, 2021, while picking apples in Buhl.

            Born March 1953 in Jerome, Wayne graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1971.  Demonstrating his character at a young age, he was never tardy to class.  He was raised by his aunt and uncle, Sally and Archie Turner, in Twin Falls, and grew up with their children, Carol, Pete and Tom.  He worked as an automobile mechanic while in high school.  His love of engines ran throughout his life.

            Though the Draft was in effect, Wayne volunteered for the U.S. Air Force.  He had previously enrolled at Boise State University (BSU) and was awaiting a scholarship determination.  He learned after he enlisted that he received a full 4-year scholarship.  “Oh well,” he wrote once about it, “missed out on that one.”  His Basic Training was in Texas.  After excelling at every test the Air Force had him take, Wayne chose to go into Nondestructive Inspection (NDI).  He was the very first airman in the career field.  He was responsible for testing aircraft and support equipment for defects using a variety of techniques, among his favorites were spectrometric oil and x-ray.  His base assignments included Columbus, MS; Keflavik, Iceland; and Beale AFB, CA.  He earned a commendation medal for setting up the new NDI lab in Iceland and three awards for developing new inspection techniques for the Air Force.  While at each base, he took college courses via mail or at the nearest college and worked additional jobs.  Known for his skinny “chicken” legs, Wayne ran the 1.5 mile test in full combat gear in less than 9 minutes, and did so at every test in the service. 

            After Basic Training, Wayne and Sandy Lanfear married in Boise in December 1972.  They had two children, Andrea (Robert) and Jeremy (Heather).  Then, Wayne spent his free time playing with his children and racing the ‘68 Camaro.

            Wayne had a way with numbers.  In ‘77, he earned a bachelor’s in Accounting from BSU cum laude, finishing in 1.5 years.  He worked as an auditor for a few years in Boise.  He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1981 and quickly progressed to accounting management with jobs in Texas and Idaho.  He was an informal tax advisor to many.  He worked for Arthur Andersen, one of the Big 5 accounting firms.  Wayne worked as Accounting Manager and then Controller for Cactus Pete’s in Jackpot, NV for a few years before joining Rangen’s in Buhl in 1989.  At Rangen’s, he started as Controller, but the title always understated his role.  He was instrumental in the company’s success for over three decades.  He oversaw much of the operations and helped establish the Texas plant.  Wayne retired in Sept. 2020, after pouring his heart and soul into his work.

            The person most successful in peeling Wayne away from work was Connie.  Wayne married Connie Walker on Aug. 21, 2004, amidst a parade of Corvettes.  With Connie, Wayne could be found riding motorcycles touring the West, driving one of his three Corvettes with the Corvette Clubs, and enjoying fishing, family gatherings and events in the Magic Valley.  They spent time together and visited family in WA, CA, AZ, and McCall domestically and vacationed in Panama, Mexico, and primarily the Caribbean.  They attended the Kimberly Christian Church.  He enjoyed taking walks, playing with the dogs, drinking Coca-Cola with real sugar and iced tea, and puttering in the yard and garage.

Wayne understood things- he repaired cars, trucks and other objects.  He kept spare parts and a tool array that might make a commercial repair shop jealous.  Like Archie, Wayne had a way with animals.  Still a mystery to us, he was liked by all cats, and especially by those who disliked other humans.  He was a pig whisperer and adored the lambs, donkeys, and goats at his sister-in-law’s farm.  He enjoyed playing games and cards and swimming.  He relished reading his car magazines and watching/attending Nascar, car shows and classic car auctions.  Wayne could engage in conversation with anyone, always lended a hand and cherished his time playing with children and grandchildren.

Wayne was not a speed reader but a speed understander.  Wayne would agree, “It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly.”  He was a consummate learner, expert at 10-key, 8 cylinders, shooting a .22, and calculating f-stops.  He was an educator, problem-solver, lifeguard, repair professional, carpenter, photographer, financial advisor, race car driver, ice cream taster, negotiator, manager, leader, volunteer, husband, father, grandfather, and friend.

His true loves were Connie, his children and grandchildren, and Corvettes.

Wayne is survived by his wife Connie, daughter Andrea, son Jeremy, bonus sons Jeremy (Jama), Jeff (Jessyka), and Rob (Heather), 11 grandchildren, sister Carol, brother Pete, and many good friends.

A viewing will be held Mon., Aug. 16 from 5-7pm at Parke’s Magic Valley Funeral Home, 2551 Kimberly Rd, Twin Falls.  The memorial service will be Tues., Aug. 17 at 10am at Parke’s.  Graveside service will start at Noon sharp at the Snake River Canyon National Cemetery, 1585 E. Elm St., Buhl.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Buhl Quick Response or W. Fish Foundation (wfishfoundation.org/donations) (cystic fibrosis support).  Those who wish may share memories and condolences on his memorial page at magicvalleyfuneralhome.com. 

The live service may be viewed on YouTube  https://youtu.be/xDbDioozY6E.