Many Luminaries Lost In ‘96

Here are some of the prominent people who died in Idaho in 1996:

January

Bob Moe, former North Idaho College drama and speech professor, died Jan. 11 in New York City at age 56. He pioneered the successful Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater more than 25 years ago. Moe started the Red Door Players in the mid1960s.

Ralph Olmstead, a Republican lawmaker from Twin Falls who spent four years as House speaker, died Jan. 28 at age 70. The cattleman ran for the GOP nomination for governor in 1982, losing the primary election to Phil Batt.

March

Joseph Eiguren, author and leader in the Boise Basque community, died March 8 at age 80.

He wrote four books and was credited with helping to preserve the Basque culture, including a Basque-English dictionary.

April

Larry LaPrise, a singer-songwriter credited by some with writing “The Hokey Pokey” while working at Sun Valley in the 1940s, died April 4 at age 83. LaPrise, a Detroit native, was working at the Ram Bar at the time.

John Breckenridge, Twin Falls pioneer sheep rancher, died April 11 at age 79. He was College of Southern Idaho’s largest contributor and an industry leader, serving as state and national Wool Growers Association president.

Sandpoint artist Stephen Eric Lyman, 38, died April 18 at Yosemite National Park when he fell.

Lyman was raised near the Snake River in northern Idaho and was known for paintings of campfires reflecting a lake or river.

Fly-fishing expert Ruel Stayner of Twin Falls, noted for his Stayner Ducktail fly pattern, died April 29. He ran Ruel Stayner Sporting Goods in Twin Falls for 50 years, generating a national reputation. He was 83.

June

John Sessions of Driggs, whose 26 years in the Idaho Legislature was among the longest terms ever, died June 26 at age 77. Sessions was chairman of the House Transportation Committee until his election defeat in 1992.

James Rainier, 58, superintendent of the state School for the Deaf and Blind in Gooding, died June 30. He took over the school in 1987, leading its 150 residential students and hundreds more in regional programs.

July

Nez Perce Indian tribal leader Richard Ellenwood Sr., 60, Lapwai, died July 3. He was dedicated to preserving his people’s culture and twice served on the Tribal Executive Committee and served as its vice chairman.

Coeur d’Alene newspaperman and civic leader Charles Patrick “Pat” King died July 26. He was 73. He joined the Coeur d’Alene Press in the late 1940s and stayed with the Hagadone newspaper organization until retiring in 1988.

William Larry Mills, 84, Boise, former speaker of the Idaho House, died July 27. He served 12 years in the Legislature through 1966. Mills was one of Idaho’s original representatives on the Northwest Power Planning Council.

Milo T. Chapman, a Troy native who twice served as president of Oregon’s Warner Pacific College, died July 31 at age 81. He was pastor of several Northwest churches and served as an Army chaplain in World War II.

August

Leon Swenson, a Nampa dairyman who served 18 years in the Idaho Legislature, died Aug. 8 at age 84. In his final sessions ending in 1982, Swenson headed the Idaho Senate’s powerful State Affairs Committee.

September

State Rep. Al Johnson, a Tyhee-area farmer and rancher, died Sept. 4 at age 69. Johnson, a Democrat, served 14 years in the Legislature and was respected for his common sense and ability to listen to both sides.

Clifford Ott, 99, the last World War I veteran belonging to the Moscow American Legion, VFW and World War I Barracks, died Sept. 18. The Iowa native joined the Idaho National Guard in 1916 and was sent to the European war.

Sylvester Treinen, retired bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise, died Sept. 30 at age 78. Treinen served as bishop of the diocese for almost 27 years. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1946 in North Dakota.

October

Don Loveland, Boise, who served in both the Idaho House and Senate and was a state tax official for 13 years, died Oct. 4 at age 79. Loveland, a Cassia County native, was county assessor before being elected to the Senate in 1962. Loveland was noted for his knowledge of Idaho tax laws.

November

Richard Schwarz, Idaho Falls, nuclear scientist and staunch advocate for wildlife, died Nov. 6 at age 67. He was a former member of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and respected for his unswerving devotion to state wildlife.

Duane “Cap” Davis, who gained national fame for his scenic photographs, died Nov. 24 at Sandpoint. He was 69. For more than 50 years, he captured the scenic beauty and life of the Northwest. His photos appeared in national and regional publications.

December

Bill Janss, who transformed Sun Valley into a year-round resort and was an innovator in the skiing business, died Dec. 4 at age 78. His family bought Sun Valley in 1964. Janss took over four years later and ran the resort until selling it in 1978.

Larry Selland, who headed Idaho’s vocational education program for nine years, died Dec. 5 of cancer. Selland served as acting president of Boise State University after the state Board of Education fired John Keiser.