Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Steve Ray Wilson
Longtime Gustavus resident Steve Ray Wilson died Aug. 13, 2007, in a plane crash 40 miles north of Arctic Village in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, while hunting Dahl sheep. He was 41.
He was born Nov. 13, 1965, in Juneau. He lived in Juneau several years until his family moved to Haines, later to Anchorage, and then to Gustavus in 1971. He attended the Gustavus School through grade school. He graduated from Cedaredge High School in Colorado in 1983. There was not a high school in Gustavus at that time.
At 18, he earned his private pilot's license. He started flying commercially for Skagway Air, then flew for various air taxies out of Juneau. Later, he founded and operated Air Excursions, based in Gustavus. He later sold Air Excursions and later operated a single pilot company, Wilson Air, also based in Gustavus.
His flying career took him all over the United States. Last winter, he flew for a company in Key West, Fla. He was an avid hunter of Alaska big game and had hunted all over the state. One year, he won the big buck contest for northern Southeast. Steve enjoyed running, especially running the Klondike Trail Race with the Gustavus team. He also played softball every summer with the Gustavus team, which competed in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, this year.
He will be missed by all, said his family.
He is survived by his two children, Mickey Wilson of Skagway and Gustavus, and Brandy Wilson of Fairbanks; parents, Eldon and Rita Wilson, of Gustavus; sister, Lori Ortega and family, of Gustavus and Juneau; uncle, Bud Wilson of Gustavus; and friend and companion, Lexa Meyer.
A memorial service for Steve will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Fjord Flying Service hangar at the Gustavus Airport.
Mary Mae Pepin
Juneau resident Mary Mae Pepin died Aug. 12, 2007, at the Juneau Pioneer Home. She was 92.
She was born in 1914 at the Circle Bar Ranch near Kit Carson, Colo. She lived in many of the Western states, in mining and ranching communities. She and husband, Elmer, came to Alaska in 1988 and settled in Juneau.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Elmer Pepin and Joe Powell; parents, Elmer and Lulu (Miller) Davis; and one child, Clark Powell.
She is survived by two brothers, Frank and Clay Davis; a sister, Phoebe Panag; two daughters, Sharon Pepin Baysinger, of Juneau, and JoAnn (Powell) Risley, of Boulder City, Nev.; seven grandchildren, Toni Armer, Tara Bingel, Valcarrie Gates, Allena Baysinger, Joe Risley, Mike Risley and Bill Risley Jr.; and great grandchildren, Branden, Kierra, Christian, Sara, Spencer, Steven, Alyssa and Jayme.
There will be a memorial service at 7 p.m. today at Juneau Christian Disciple Church, at the Seventh Day Adventist School building in Lemon Creek, 4890 Glacier Highway.
Russell L. Stevenson
Former longtime Juneau resident Russell L. Stevenson died Aug. 13, 2007, at his home in Yuma, Ariz., after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 66.
He was born March 16, 1941, in Stanwood, Wash. Shortly after, the family moved to Alaska and lived in Sitka, Hoonah and Juneau. After attending Juneau-Douglas High School, he joined the U.S. Army and served at Fort Greeley. Upon returning to Juneau from the service, he met and married his wife on June 18, 1962. He later served four years with the Juneau unit of the National Guard.
In his early years, he worked for Marshall Erwin at Case Lot Groceries and was instrumental in the opening of the first IGA store in 1964 in the Mendenhall valley. He later worked for Foodland Supermarket. He retired from the state of Alaska Weights and Measurement Division in 1997.
For several years, he coached Little League baseball teams. He was a member of the Juneau Elks Lodge 420 and Moose Lodge.
He loved the waters of Southeast Alaska, said his family. He was an avid fisherman who enjoyed the time he spend on the family boat, the Essie Too, they said.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Esther Stevenson; sons, Michael Stevenson and his wife, Janice, of Juneau, Kevin Stevenson and his wife, Jessica, of Wasilla, and Dan Stevenson and his wife, Tonya, of Juneau; brothers, Bob Stevenson and his wife, Donna, of Juneau, and Paul Stevenson and his wife, Kay, of Missouri; grandchildren, Jenifer Renee, Samantha-Jo, David Russell, Krystie Lee, Emily Beth, Devin Troy and Taylor Leigh; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, LaClaire Harcort Stevenson; mother, Alice Gertrude Jacobs; sisters, Carol Stevenson and Tony Bergman; nephew, Robert "Robbie" Alan Stevenson; and mother-in-law, Effie Harvey, of Douglas.
A celebration of life for family and friends will be announced at a later date. Esther Stevenson can be contacted through her sons or at 5266 E. 34th St., Yuma, AZ 85365. Donations in his name may be made to Hospice of Yuma, 1824 S. 8th Ave., Yuma AZ, 85364-5517, or to a charity of choice.
Russell L. Stevenson
Former Juneau resident Russell L. Stevenson died Aug. 13, 2007, at his home in Yuma, Ariz., after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 66.
A celebration of life for family and friends will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Switzer Creek Recreation Hall.
Esther Stevenson can be contacted through her sons or at 5266 E. 34th St., Yuma, AZ 85365. Donations in his name may be made to Hospice of Yuma, 1824 S. 8th Ave., Yuma AZ 85364-5517, or to a charity of choice.
Francis A. Smith
Lifelong Juneau resident Francis A. Smith died Aug. 12, 2007, at his home in Juneau. He was 79.
He was born June 12, 1928, in Juneau at St. Ann's Hospital and graduated from Juneau High School in 1948. He served eight years in the National Guard. He was a charter member of the Glacier Valley Volunteer Fire Department, past governor of Juneau Moose Lodge 700, from which he received his fellowship degree, and longtime member of the Civil Air Patrol. In 1911, his father became a charter member of the Moose Lodge and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks 420.
A viewing was held Thursday at St. Paul's Catholic Church. The funeral Mass, officiated by the Rev. Tony and Bishop Bruce Fox, of Aiken, S.C., will be held at noon today at St. Paul's. Interment will immediately follow the Mass at the Alaskan Memorial Park. A reception will follow from 2 to 4 p.m. today at the Moose Lodge.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his memory to South Aiken Church of God, Building Fund, 2700 Whiskey Road, Aiken, SC 29803. This was a project very near and dear to his heart, said his family. Contributions may also be made to a charity of your choice.
James Arthur Doyle
Former Funter Bay resident James Arthur Doyle, of Coos Bay, Oregon, died Aug. 9, 2007, in North Bend, Ore. He was 85.
He was born Aug. 3, 1922, in Reedsport, Ore., to Paul O. Doyle and Ethel Hopkins. As a boy, he loved hiking, camping and fishing with his brother in what was then the wilderness around Portland. As a teenager he fought fires all around the state of Oregon and became a crew leader at a very young age.
When war was declared in 1941, he joined the U.S. Navy and fought for his country in the South Pacific, where he witnessed the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. In 1947, he married Virginia Blanche Younker, of Charleston, N.C. Last March, the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
After the war, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and served for more than 20 years, living all over the country, until he retired as master chief quarter master, the first enlisted man to achieve that rank.
He retired and moved with his wife to Funter Bay. They lived in this wilderness area enjoying nature, fishing, and gathering weather information for the Federal Aviation Administration for 25 years.
All of his life, he loved the study of history and geography, his family said. He also loved nature and reading. In later years, he enjoyed watching "Jeopardy" and Mariners baseball games.
He was always good for a game of pitch or cribbage, or "win Grandpa's quarters," said his family. He spent his last few years in Coos Bay, surrounded by family and enjoying the view out his window and feeding and watching the local birds.
He is survived by his wife, Blanche Doyle; children, Laurabeth, Paul "Rocky," Wendy Sue and Terry Bob; as well as eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He is loved and will be missed, said his family.
Cremation rites were held Aug. 14 at Ocean View Memory Gardens Crematory in Coos Bay. A private family celebration of life was held Aug. 11 at the family home. At his request, no public service will be held.
Arrangements are under the direction of Coos Bay Chapel.
