In Memory*

James Willmarth

WILLMARTH -- James L. Willmarth, 65, died Wednesday, April 13, of pancreatic cancer in his home at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. Jim was born April 17, 1945, in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended the University of New Mexico and Universidad de las Americas in Mexico City. He also became a skilled falconer, adept at capturing and handling birds of prey. In 1980, he began a 30-year career with The Peregrine Fund. As part of the effort to save the Peregrine Falcon from extinction, he watched over Peregrine chicks as they were released into the wild at one of the earliest hack sites in Grand Teton National Park. In 1984, he helped construct the Peregrine Fund's new breeding facility in Boise, Idaho. Jim's work with The Peregrine Fund took him around the world. He built a state-of-the-art outdoor aviary in Hawaii for an endangered crow species. Then he went to Arizona to construct a holding pen for endangered California Condors being released to the wild. In 2000, Jim was asked to go to Cape Verde off the West African coast to capture rare and elusive Cape Verde Red Kites. After months of careful observation, he did capture the kites by tying tiny nooses to locusts and setting them out on tree branches, an idea generated by his innate understanding of bird behavior. Jim also worked in Pakistan trying to rescue severely endangered vulture populations poisoned by pharmaceutical toxins. After Pakistan, he returned to Arizona and spent the next three years releasing and monitoring endangered California Condors. During these years, he was asked to work in Greenland, capturing, tagging, and releasing over 120 Gyrfalcons. Jim's many talents included photography. He also went to film school and was indispensable in producing photos and videos for The Peregrine Fund. In 2007, Jim moved to Boise and became Bird Curator at the interpretive center at the World Center for Birds of Prey. Using his extensive knowledge of falconry and long experience with birds, he put together flight demonstrations and safeguarded the bird's daily health and well-being. Jim is survived by his mother, Nila Willmarth, Albuquerque, N.M.; five siblings, Lynne Wolfe, Taxco, Mexico, Ann Dressler, Newtown, Pennsylvania, Laura Hebenstreit, Las Cruces, N.M., Susan Willmarth, New York, N.Y. and Michael Willmarth, Richardson, Texas; and nephew Todd Hebenstreit, Albuquerque, N.M. The family would like to extend special thanks to Cal and Machel Sandfort, Matt Podolsky, Trish Nixon, Fred Pugh, Bill Heinrich, Tony Crosswell, Kent Carnie, Bob Collins, Peter Jenny, Marti Jenkins, Ed Levine, Meagan Kaiser, and all his friends and colleagues at The Peregrine Fund for their support during Jim's illness. The family also thanks the staff at St. Luke's Hospice. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to The Peregrine Fund, 5668 W. Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, Idaho 83709



 
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06/10/13 07:33 PM #1    

Nick Pavlakovich Jr.

http://obits.abqjournal.com/obits/show/215544

 


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