Clifford G. Dorn, born in New Jersey on June 9, 1947, passed away April 15, 2010 at his home on Morris Ranch Road in Garner Valley.

He served in the United States Army as a survival and artillery specialist, worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a fire lookout at the Tahquitz Lookout Tower and also built and maintained portions of the Pacific Crest Trail. He owned Pacific Crest Equipment and Clifford Dorn & Associates in the mid ’70s. He was a teacher and instructor of rock climbing and martial arts as well as a rancher, miner, trail and hunting guide, survivalist and entrepreneur.

He is survived by his parents, Clifford Sr. and Grace Dorn, sister Christine and brother Calvin Dorn, and numerous friends from a broad spectrum.

A celebration of his life is being planned and will be announced. He was truly a friend, teacher and mentor and will be missed by all whose life he touched. Whether you knew him for 50 years or one day, he was a man you’d never forget.

Similar Posts

  • Obituary: Eric Bettelheim

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    A longtime supporter of Idyllwild Arts Academy, Eric Bettelheim, 66, died of respiratory distress Sunday, Nov. 1, 1998, while on a visit in Borrego Springs. Mr. Bettelheim was born April 4, 1932, in Asyut, Egypt. He worked as an engineer for Ralph M. Parsons Co. in Pasadena until his retirement in 1987, at which time…

  • Obituary: Reva Ballreich

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    On Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, Reva Ballreich, widely known as “The Lilac Lady,” died peacefully in Rancho Mirage at the age of 84, three days after her birthday. A piano prodigy who gave her first concert in Germany at age 8, Ballreich enjoyed a luminous career as a concert pianist primarily in Europe. Vladimir Horowitz,…

  • Obituary: Sabrina Anne Verney

    By Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Obituary Sabrina Anne Verney 1947-2014 Sabrina Anne Verney, mother, writer, artist, gardener, and teacher, died Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014, at her home in Idyllwild after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 67 years old. Born in England on Feb. 14, 1947, to John and Jan Verney, she had early interests in drawing and writing….

  • Obituary: Joy Agnew

    By Reading Time: 1 minute

    Joy Agnew, 60, of Vandalia, Ohio, died of cancer at home Monday, Nov. 10, 2008. She was born Aug. 25, 1948, in Piqua, Ohio, to Robert and Betty Bayless. Ms. Agnew attended Edison State College in Piqua, Ohio. She worked at Idyllwild Arts, for the U.S. Postal Service and for Boojum Institute. Along with living…