The SEFS community is saddened to hear of the loss of School of Forest Resources alumni, Toby Atterbury. He was 88 years old and passed away peacefully in Seattle surrounded by loved ones. When Atterbury attended the University of Washington he paid his way by fighting fire as a smokejumper and planting trees; and in 1959 got his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. In 2009, the University of Washington School of Forest Resources Alumni Association presented him with a Distinguished Achievement Award for his lifetime contributions to the forestry profession.

A memorial service was held for Toby on May 31, 2025 at Glad Tidings Darrington in Darrington, Washington. An additional Celebration of Life will take place at Mary McCallum Park on the banks of the Deschutes River in Sunriver, Oregon on the 13 of September at 11:30a.m. for those that can attend.

He was born February 23, 1937 to Floyd and Lillian Atterbury in Hood River, Oregon. Soon after the family returned home to a ranch near Darrington, WA before moving the family into town, where Toby and his sister were raised. Nearby to the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, this small, tight-knit timber town taught Toby the importance of community, as well as self-reliance. The surrounding wilderness areas in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, which include wild Sauk and Stillaguamish scenic rivers, provided a playground for Toby, who would often spend days and even weeks at a time in nature – camping, hunting and fishing. These experiences laid the foundations for his spiritual and professional lives.

While working as a forester for Northern Pacific Railroad in Seattle in 1960, inside the landmark Smith Tower he met Pauline M. Lunstrum, his wife and partner of 43 years. Toby and Pauline married in 1963, raised a family, created several successful businesses together, and nurtured a community of friends and family, as well as a menagerie of pets in homes in Seaside, and then Portland (Aloha) and Sunriver, Oregon. Toby was a devoted family man. His family was always the most important part of his life.

Toby’s passion for the woods grew into a lifetime career in the Forestry industry. He worked for forest and paper products company Crown Zellerbach for over two decades managing almost a million acres of forest inventory in Oregon, Washington, and California. While at Crown, he was instrumental in marrying emerging computer technology with forest management practices. In 1985, he started a forestry consultant business, Atterbury Consultants Inc., which just marked their 40th year in business, with the goal of making professional forestry understandable while providing accurate and cost-effective solutions for their many clients, ranging from small landowners to large timberland corporations. ACI also developed a suite of forest management software products that are used throughout the industry today. Toby was a member of the Society of American Foresters for over 65 years. His career fueled his passion for the outdoors, adventure, and travel, and he often said he was having so much fun that he would do it for free. He could never bring himself to call himself “retired.”

Toby spent his final years in Anacortes, Washington with his second wife, who was with him until the end. In 2013 Toby married Anne Cloer Jones, who he had gone to school with growing up in Darrington, Washington; and after a combined 100 years inside their respective loving successful marriages, they were both widowed, reconnected and married at age 75. They enjoyed 12 years of love, travelling, and companionship. Toby and Anne attended Christ the King Church of Anacortes.

Toby is survived by his second wife Anne Jones Atterbury; two daughters Niki and Toni Atterbury; son-in-law Roger Basquette; stepson Steve Jones; and many nieces, nephews and “grand” nieces and nephews; and loving long-time friends. He was preceded in death by his wife Pauline Lunstrum Atterbury; his sister Sue Atterbury Carson and her husband Phil Carson; and his parents Floyd and Lillian Atterbury.

Watch Toby’s Memorial Service