Dayton Molzen

Dayton Molzen, 99, passed away peacefully at home on April 18, 2025. He was known for his kindness, intellect, creativity, ethics and sense of humor. He lived life to the fullest.

He was born on January 6, 1926, in Newton, Kansas to Walter and Ionia (Gordon) Molzen. In Newton, he excelled at an early age taking several state and regional titles in archery. In high school he played clarinet in a trio and a quartet that won national honors.

An Eagle Scout, Dayton was patriotic from a young age and enlisted in the Army Air Corps during high school, reporting for active duty three days after graduation in 1944. He was in flight school when WWII ended. After earning his degree in civil engineering from Kansas State University, he went on to serve in the Air Force as an operations and cryptography officer during the Korean Conflict.

On August 13, 1949, he married the love of his life, Margaret Jean ("Marjean") Hanna, whom he met in elementary school. They were married for 69 years before her passing in 2018.

Dayton was stationed at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque when he was discharged from the Air Force, and went to work for a local engineering firm. In 1960, he decided to open his own company and founded D.F. Molzen and Associates which later became Molzen Corbin and Associates, now one of the largest consulting engineering firms in New Mexico. Dayton loved being a civil engineer and found fulfillment working on public engineering projects where many people benefited.

After retiring from Molzen Corbin, Dayton and Marjean turned their love of wildlife and nature photography into a business that took them around the world. He specialized in nature photography but was happy photographing almost anything. He photographed professionally for several commercial companies, and his work has appeared in several magazines and public displays, including at the Albuquerque International Sunport.

He never lost his love of flying and later in life owned several airplanes, logging over 4000 hours of flight time. In addition to his love of flying, he loved animals and raised and showed Appaloosa horses, winning multiple local and national titles.

Dayton always had a hobby and over the years enjoyed fishing, karate, rock hunting, model railroading, creating and collecting model airplanes, wood and metal working and a host of other activities. Photography remained his passion.

He was a member of the High Desert Methodist Church, the Freemasons, the Shrine Air Patrol, Enchanted Lens Camera Club, and the NM Rail Runners model railroad club.

Above all, Dayton was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Dayton was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marjean. He is survived by his son, George Molzen and his wife, Judy Hardage, of Ashland, Oregon; his daughter Lucena Pape and her husband West Pape of Round Rock, Texas; three grandchildren, John (Kathryn) Pape, Jennifer (Sascha) Terry, and Jessica Molzen; as well as 7 great-grandchildren, Dayton, Audrey and Weston Pape, and Elisa, Kira, Evelyn and Isabelle Terry. He is also survived by his sister Clarene (Norman) Wilms of Topeka, Kansas.

Memorial Services will be held Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 2:00pm at FRENCH-Wyoming. A reception to celebrate his life will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to your favorite charity.