Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Cecil Diakanoff
Longtime Juneau resident Cecil William Diakanoff died Sept. 17, 2007, in Seattle. He was 85.
Born in 1922 in Unalaska, he was a construction worker as well as a truck driver in many Alaska and out-of-state locations.
He enjoyed fishing, and often was seen fishing on the North Douglas rocks. Other interests included gardening and spending time with his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lucy (Berikoff) and William Diakanoff; siblings, John, Emily Mae, Michael, Arnold and Andrew Diakanoff; and son, Arnold Diakanoff.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Diakanoff, of Juneau; brother, Walter Diakanoff, of Unalaska; children, Karen Stepanenko, Evonne Mason and Daryl Diakanoff; grandchildren, Gabe Nyholm, Amanda, Jensyne, Melanya and Aimie Mason; and nephews, nieces and other relatives.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 2517 Teslin St., Juneau.
Sherman Brown
Former Juneau resident Sherman Brown died Sept. 21, 2007. He was 70.
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He was born April 29, 1937, in Powder Springs, Ga. A Juneau resident for 18 years, he worked as a pressman for the Juneau Empire, as warehouse man in retail, and for Don Abel.
He is survived by his daughters, Toni Brown, Marie Walker and Antoinette Bigby; and niece, Frida Brown.
Services will be held at 7 p.m. Friday in Douglasville, Ga.
For those who wish to extend their condolences, his daughter, Tina, may be contacted at (770) 944-6407 or at 1858 Drew Circle, Austell, GA, 30168.
For further memorial details, please go online to The Atlanta Journal Constitution at AJC.com and click on "Obituaries."
Alan Gerard Kegler
Juneau resident Alan Gerard Kegler died Sept. 19, 2007, following a boating accident off the waters of Lincoln Island in Juneau. He was 58.
He was born May 5, 1949, in Mankato, Minn. He graduated from Technical High School in St. Cloud, Minn., in 1967, and attended Bemidji State College in Bemidji, Minn.
He started with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in Juneau in 1975. His retirement in 1999 capped a career of notable accomplishments, including extensive work on the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. In the past several years, he worked for Smith, Bayliss and LeResche Inc. and most recently R&S Pumping Service in Juneau.
Family members said retirement allowed him time to pursue hunting, fishing, riding his beloved Harley-Davidsons "Cap'n Crunch" and "Elsie," and the pastime he loved most of all - telling stories and sharing a cold beer with friends.
Family said all who knew him will appreciate his passion, his love of his children, his enthusiasm for the outdoors and his philosophy on life - full-throttle forward with everything an adventure. His family said their countless memories of him provide them some comfort over the loss of the tales that will no longer be created. He leaves behind a legacy not easily forgotten, they said.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Sylvester and Lillian Kegler, of St. Cloud, Minn.
He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Pamela Kegler; daughters, Camille Kegler, of Juneau, and Keely Doyle and her husband, Anthony, of Minneapolis; son, Joseph and his wife, Adrian, of Juneau; three grandchildren, Kieran, 3, Jozlyn, 2, and Bridget, 10 months; brother, Rus Kegler and his wife, Tana, of Juneau; sister, Lori Brown and her husband, Dave, of Roseville, Minn.; mother- and sister-in-law, Eileen Lord and Cindi Hermosa, of Auburn, Calif.; nieces and nephews, Ryan and Laela Kegler, of Juneau, and Alex, Colleen and Abby Brown, of Roseville; and countless relatives and friends across the country.
A Mass was celebrated by his uncle, the Rev. Maynard Kegler, in Phoenix.
A celebration of his life will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Juneau Moose Family Center at 8335 Airport Blvd.
A memorial fund was set up for the family with Wells Fargo Bank, Glacier Valley Store, 9150 Glacier Highway, Juneau, AK 99801. Checks should be made payable to Joseph A. Kegler.
John D. Magers
Juneau resident John D. Magers died Sept. 9, 2007, at home after a lengthy battle with liver disease. He was 65.
He was born Dec. 12, 1941.
His caretakers and friends were Fred C. Phillips, the Rev. Sam Dalin, and Kyle and Jainlane Brady.
"John was an ordained minister of the gospel, praise God! ... John thoroughly enjoyed ministering to children and taking them to church on Sundays," Phillips said. "John made many friends here in Alaska and was loved by many. ... John will be truly missed."
Services will be announced at a later date.
Vernon Wallace Hamey
Juneau Wildflower Court resident Vernon Wallace Hamey died Sept. 25, 2007, of natural causes. He was 87.
He was born Oct. 9, 1919, in Naples, Ill. He graduated from Fort Madison High School in Iowa and served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II in the 690th in Europe and France. He was part of the beach landing at Normandy.
He moved with his family to Manhattan Beach, Calif., in 1958, and worked installing and repairing sprinkler systems for the cities of Manhattan Beach and Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was a member of the Moose Lodge and AMVETS.
He loved fishing and cooking. He was a kind, loving person who made people feel wanted and cared for, his family said.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mabel Hamey, in 1966; son, Jack Hamey; and brother, Julian Hamey.
He is survived by his wife, Jayne Hamey, of Sacramento, Calif.; son, Jim Hamey and his wife, Adele, of Juneau; daughter-in-law, Mary Jo Hamey, of Nanaimo, British Columbia; granddaughter, Nadia Hamey, of Santa Cruz, Calif.; grandsons, Jer Hamey and his wife, Cynthia, and Bryan Hamey, of Juneau, and Chris Hamey and his wife, Regan, of Anchorage; three stepchildren, Tom Chaffee and his wife, Sue, Judy Kaminski and her husband, Karl, and Lynne Berry; step-grandchildren, Chris and Katy Chaffee; and six great-grandchildren, Jonathan, Catherine, Julia and Gwyneth Hamey, of Juneau, and Maguire and Evan Hamey, of Anchorage.
He and his family would like to gratefully thank the staff of Wildflower Court for their care and assistance during the past three years.
Memorial remembrances may be made to Love Inc. or Wildflower Court.
Richard Van Trump
Juneau resident Richard "Tiny" Van Trump died Sept. 21, 2007, in Juneau. He was 44.
Born April 10, 1963, in Fort Worth, Texas, he worked as a fisherman and a bouncer.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard Van Trump and Jean Can Trump.
He is survived by his sisters, Beth Stodieck of Fort Worth, and Heidi Sorber of Albuquerque, N.M.; nieces, Angela and Becca Stodieck, both of Fort Worth, and Sarah Bearce of Meridian, Miss.; nephew, Tim Stodieck of Fort Worth; and great-niece, Anna Beth Stodieck of Fort Worth.
Memorials and donations may be sent to the American Diabetes Association.
A memorial celebration is being planned. For more information, call Denise at 321-1294.
