VERNON GLENN HORSTMAN

Vernon Glenn Horstman died in Kadlec Regional Medical Center, Richland, on the evening of November 4, 2011 after a brief illness. He was born in Franklin, Kansas on November 12, 1925 to Vernon William Horstman and Hilda Lorene McMillian, and grew up in eastern Kansas and Oklahoma as the family moved to follow job opportunities through the Great Depression. Here he developed his life-long love of hunting and fishing. He graduated high school early—December 1943—to enlist in the US Army Air Corps, where he flew 35 missions over Germany with the 351st Bomb Group, 510th Squadron. The extreme conditions of flying unheated, unpressurized B-17s caused the hearing loss and resulting "big" voice so familiar to all who knew him.

While he was in the service, his parents and sister, Carol Mae, came to join the Hanford war effort. After discharge, Glenn returned to his family here and worked a variety of jobs. During this time, he was introduced to Patricia Ann Snyder by mutual friends, Jim and Nell Couch. Glenn managed Patty's bid for Miss Richland 1947 and they married June 29 the following year.

After college WSU and Oklahoma State; BS, Animal Husbandry, Glenn & Pat returned to the area, where Glenn worked in the 100-F Area "Animal Farm" research facility with many pioneering biomedical scientists, including Leo Bustad, Frank Hungate, Bill Bair, and Bill Wiley. He was on the team that developed the Hanford Miniature swine, still a standard biomedical research model. With their support and mentoring, he rose to manage Animal Resources at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Before retiring in 1990, he won the 1989 American Association for Laboratory Animal Science AALAS Joseph J. Garvey Award for outstanding accomplishments in the care, quality, or humane treatment of animals used in biomedical research.

Glenn was naturally friendly and gregarious, and this served him well at work and at home. At work, he facilitated conferences among scientists including the Hanford Symposia and with AALAS he was known as "Mr. District 8", where his ease with people and organizational skills shone. He also conducted innumerable tours for laboratory guests and spoke frequently to clubs and public gatherings in the region on the research being done in the lab.

Glenn enjoyed social activities outside work with long-time friends Jim & Nell Couch, Reuben & Ginger Knirck, and so many others; he and Pat widened their circle of friends considerably when they started square dancing in the '60s and brought many of their old friends with them. Glenn was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus; he and Pat worked with a church youth group during their children's teen years. In retirement, he enjoyed a part-time job with Bantin & Kingman Ltd. lab animal suppliers, the company of friends at Joker's, and watching sports and classic movies on TV.

Glenn was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 53 years, Patricia; and brother-in-law, Morris Massey. He is survived by his sister, Carol Massey; children Michael Donna and Theresa Horstman; grandchildren Matthew Caroline, Annelise, and Sarah Horstman; Gari-Ann Ryan Hedquist; and Kinnon Hope Brittany Cowart; and great-grandchildren Chase and Clara-Marie Horstman, Logan Anderson, Caillou and Matthew Hedquist.

Visitation will be Saturday and Sunday, November 12 and 13 at Einan's Funeral Home from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The rosary will be recited Sunday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. at Christ the King Church with interment to follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Catholic Family and Child Service.