James Michael Thorne, 60, of Crookston, Minnesota, died peacefully at his home Wednesday morning, June 3, 2009, with his beloved wife, Mary, children, and other family and friends at his bedside. With the aid and comfort of his family and friends, Jim had been bravely battling cancer since 2002. He was born in Bemidji, Minnesota on March 17, 1949, the son of Robert and Catherine (Wing) Thorne. As a youngster Jim moved with his family to Pequot Lakes, MN, then to Jenkins, MN, and a few years later to Watford City, ND. In 1967 they returned to Bemidji and he graduated from Bemidji High School in 1967. He went on to attend Bemidji State College and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business. Jim was united in marriage to Mary Joanne Erickson on July 3, 1970 in the First Baptist Church in Bemidji. Together, the couple raised three children-Michelle, Melissa, and Shelby. Jim and Mary moved to Little Falls, MN in 1972, where his professional career began as the accountant-business manager for Little Falls Community Schools. In 1976 they moved to Bemidji and he became the Regional Accounting Coordinator for ninety-three public schools located throughout Northwest Minnesota. Two years later he became a staff accountant for Miller, McDonald and Erickson, Ltd, of Bemidji. In 1979 Jim, Mary, and the kids moved to Park Rapids, MN, where for eighteen years he served as the school district’s business manager. In 1998 he began employment as the business manager for Delano, MN, public schools, also later assuming the duties of building construction manager, and overseeing a large expansion of the instructional buildings on the school’s campus. From 2002 through 2004 he worked in private industry as a financial consultant for Integrity Systems of Minnesota. In 2005 Jim and Mary moved to Crookston where he took over as School District #593 business manager. Because of his rapidly failing health Jim retired in June of 2008, ending a very successful and rewarding thirty-six year career in business management.
Professionally, Jim was a twenty-seven year member of the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials, and had served on the State Legislative Auditor Committee, and State Legislative Transportation Committee. He was a longtime member of Rotary International, of which he was a Paul Harris Fellow, and recipient of the Presidential Medallion. In past years he had been active in the leadership of the National and State Jaycees organizations, the Park Rapids Chamber of Commerce, and as a committee member for cancer fund raising for the Relay for Life. While living in Park Rapids he initiated the organization of a car club that hosted many state level functions.
