Former Buckley resident Thron Riggs died recently at
the age of 94.
He was born in 1921 to Jessie and Thron Riggs, graduated
from Buckley High School as class valedictorian in
1939 and graduated from the University of Washington in
1943. He pursued graduate studies at MIT, Harvard and
USC. He played football both at the UW and professionally
with the Boston Yanks. He served in the U.S. Marine
Corps and saw action during World War II in the Pacific
Theater.
He worked for Chevron Corporation, taking an early
retirement from his position as general manager of the El
Segundo refinery, and became the senior vice president
of Commonwealth Refining in Puerto Rico. After several
years with that firm, he formed his own energy consulting
company.
In 1947, he married Wilburta Combe and they had four children; she died in 1961.
In 1965 he married Iva Lee Calley, who brought two daughters to the family. In retirement, he and his wife moved to Sedona, Ariz., where he continued to be involved in civic affairs. For several years he was mayor of Sedona.
He is survived by his wife; four children; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
His ashes were mingled with those of his sister Katherine (Kappy) and spread on the Buckley High School football field.