Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Lewis Patrick Brooks
Juneau resident Lewis Patrick Brooks died of pancreatic cancer on Jan. 8, 2010, at Wildflower Court. Family and friends were at his side through his last days. He was 57.
He was born March 17, 1952, in Fairbanks, and moved with his parents to Juneau when he was 6 years old. He was a 1970 graduate of Juneau-Douglas High School.
Of Inupiaq descent, he was a shareholder of Goldbelt Inc. and Sealaska Corp. Lewis was given the name of his Inupiaq grandmother, Saqulun.
He worked in many positions throughout Alaska: as an apprentice electrician on the Alyeska Pipeline, and as a building maintenance worker in Kotzebue, where he also lived for a time in the wilderness working a trapline.
He attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the early 1970s, then returned to school in the late 1980s, graduating with a bachelor of science in public administration and law from the University of Alaska Southeast in 1996.
He worked in positions with Goldbelt Inc., during which time he was instrumental in planning and opening the Mount Roberts Tramway retail sales store, then with the state of Alaska Division of Insurance until his retirement in 2007.
He was a competitive bicyclist and tennis player, and was a volunteer with the Juneau Tennis Association and the JDHS tennis team. He is remembered by his friends as an exceptional hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. Once, when hunting for caribou miles from Kotzebue, he downed a charging grizzly bear with a single shot when it was just a second or two from reaching him.
His family and friends also appreciated his quick intelligence, wicked good sense of humor and companionship.
After being diagnosed with cancer in January 2008, he chose to forego treatment and make the most of the time he had left. A sports car and motorcycle enthusiast, Lewis bought two mega horsepower motorcycles and two Corvettes, which he used in Juneau and the Lower 48 until his health began to seriously decline four months ago.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James W. Brooks and Bertha Schaeffer Brooks.
He is survived by his longtime friend and end-of-life caregiver, Georgia Sepel; cousin, Peter Schaeffer and wife, Polly, also caregivers; step-sister, Dr. Beatrice Brooks and husband, Joe Lilly; adopted granddaughter, Kara Sepel; many cousins in Kotzebue as well as cousins in Michigan and Los Angeles; and friends, Joe Craig, Tom Daugherty, Greg Dostal, Skip Gray, Ron Hakala, Pete Lind, Peter and Sandy Metcalfe, Dennis and Sue Salveson, Terri Schmidt, Andy Smoker, Gina Vose, Terry Ward and Mona Yarnall, among many others.
His family and friends wish to acknowledge the care and support he received from Dr. Anne Standerwick, CCS Hospice & Home Care and the staff of Wildflower Court.
A celebration of his life will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Juneau Yacht Club. For more information, e-mail metcom@gci.net or phone 586-1166.
Howard "Howie" Knudson
Hoonah resident Howard "Howie" Harold Knudson died Jan. 5, 2010, in Hoonah. He was 52.
Born April 13, 1957, in Juneau, he grew up and lived in Hoonah, where he attended Hoonah Public School.
He was a Wooshke'taan, from the Shark house and a Chookaneidi yadi. His Tlingit name was "Doos ke'sut te" after his uncle Andrew McKinley; his second name was Shaw ke'ut te.
He did many things in his life, including working as a seiner, longliner and troller and fishing on a processor at sea near Dutch Harbor.
"He had no fear of working on a fishing boat," his family said. "He loved to challenge his friends to not be afraid of hard work and did so with a grin."
He also was a bartender. In Hoonah, he worked as a hatch foreman for Southeast Stevedoring for several years, when logging was a local way of life. He spent the past few summers as a crew supervisor for Hoonah's Icy Straits Point.
Of all of the things he did in his life, most of all he loved to fish his boat, the Cheryl Sea, and rod fish off his skiff, his family said.
"Howie was a provider and a friend to all who knew him. Fishing was his life and certainly a great source for his pride. Just talking about trolling would get him to say, 'Woohoo,' rubbing his hands together vigorously and smiling ear to ear."
Beside being a fisherman, he was a hunter, subsistence user and provider. He also took great pride in being an uncle to all his nephews and nieces, teaching his nephews work ethic and values to ensure they knew how to take care of themselves and their families.
He looked up to his elders and had the most respect for them, and he held service men in the highest regard. People who knew him agree he had a free spirit and loved his independence and living on his boat.
"Howie touched so many peoples lives, he will be missed," his family said.
He was preceded in death by his uncle, Gerald Gray; cousins, Lenny and Larry Gray; aunts, Irene J. Austin and husband, Jim, and Lila Fawcett; grandparents, Howard Gray Sr., and Jessie Gray, and Harry and Amy Marvin; and uncle, Sam Knudson and daughter, Elaine.
He is survived by his parents, Ralph and Harriet Knudson Sr.; sister, Mary Erickson and husband, Jim; brothers, Ralph Jr., and Kelvin Knudson, and Torvald Knudson and wife, Janice; sisters, Irene Knudson and husband, Leo, and Harriet LeBlanc, Ralphenia Knudson; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Larry Sanders, John Hillman, Jeff Mills, Ernie Hillman Jr., Don Wilson and Thomas Jack Jr. Honorary Pallbearers are Ronald Williams, Ray Wilson, Frank Wright Jr., Lillian Hillman, Ed Kunz Jr., Paul Rudolph, Jake White Sr., Sam Hanlon Jr., Steve Hanlon, Frank O. Williams, George Bennett.
Fred Zhong Chu (1 of 2)
Longtime Juneau resident Dr. Fred Chu died peacefully on Jan. 30, 2010, at Bartlett Regional Hospital. He was 56. He came to Juneau in 1988 and practiced medicine at the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium until he became ill in 2005.
Born May 9, 1953, in Hong Kong, he was the fifth of eight children in his family. His family was in transition from China to Brazil and eventually to Los Angeles when he was 14. His background enabled him to understand different cultures and to speak four languages.
He finished high school in Los Angeles and then attended UCLA, receiving a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry in 1975. He was accepted to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md., graduating in 1979. He did his residency training in Family Practice at the University of Colorado, Denver. Next he served in the Navajo Area Indian Health Service in Gallup, N.M., developing a lifelong passion for health care for Native Americans.
He returned to Denver to teach family medicine for five years. He moved with his young family to Juneau in 1988 to take a position at SEARHC. Juneau became his home, where he raised his two sons, Christopher and Brian, who currently live near their mother, Dr. Ellen Farley, in northern California.
He had a passion for fishing and exploring the great outdoors. He considered it a great honor to be adopted into the Kaagwantaan Eagle clan in 1992. His Tlingit name is Stoowukaa.
In his final year of practice, he was named Alaska Family Physician of the Year for 2005. The retirement celebration held in honor of his many achievements and lifetime of service was attended by several hundred of his colleagues, patients and members of the community.
"Chu was one of Juneau's most brilliant physicians, and all the medical staff benefited from the knowledge and expertise he shared," a colleague said. "He paved the way at SEARHC for the addition of complimentary medicine to clinical services."
"I will always remember Dr. Fred Chu and his sweet open smile," said a patient. "His energy remains in me."
He was preceded in death by his mother, Liu Pu-Fang Chu; and father, Shen Wen Chu.
He is survived by his sons, Christopher and Brian Chu; seven siblings, John, Airin, David, Russell, Tony, Ana and Linda Chu; and many nieces and nephews.
In Juneau he is survived by his loving partner, Joni Gill Pico, and her daughter, Sasha; and many close personal friends whom he also considered to be another family circle.
A Tlingit cultural memorial service honoring him will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, at the Tlingit-Haida Community Center in Juneau, 3235 Hospital Drive, near Twin Lakes.
In lieu of flowers you may make donations to "The Dr. Fred Chu Memorial Account" for the Fred Chu Integrative Medicine Healing Endowment Fund through Wells Fargo Bank at 123 Seward Street, Juneau, AK 99801.
Fred Zhong Chu (2 of 2)
Longtime Juneau resident Dr. Fred Zhong Chu died peacefully on Jan. 30, 2010, at Bartlett Regional Hospital. He was 56.
A Tlingit cultural memorial service and potluck honoring him will take place at 2 p.m. today, Feb. 7, at the Tlingit-Haida Community Center in Juneau, located at 3235 Hospital Drive near Twin Lakes. Donations are welcome.
Honorary pallbearers are Walter Soboleff, Ethel Lund, Selina Everson, Nora Dauenhauer, Cyril George, Daniel Neal, Herman Davis and Ray Wilson.
In lieu of flowers you may make donations to "The Dr. Fred Chu Memorial Account" for the Fred Chu Integrative Medicine Healing Endowment Fund through Wells Fargo Bank at 123 Seward Street, Juneau, AK 99801.
Jacklynne Lorensen
Jackie Lorensen, 63, lost her battle with breast cancer Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, in Rochester, N.Y., surrounded by family.
A resident of Juneau from 1973 to the present, Jackie, attended by her husband, Ron Swanson, and daughter, Carrie Lorensen, resided with her sister, Laurie Conti, and her husband, Rob, while she underwent medical treatment in New York.
Born in 1946 in Rochester, Jackie graduated from Fairport High School in New York and the State University of New York at Oswego. She taught art in the Albany School District. After moving to Alaska, she taught fifth grade at Gastineau Elementary School in Juneau and retired as the school librarian at Floyd Dryden Middle School. She also worked for five years as the education coordinator at the Alaska State Museum.
Active in the community, Jackie was past president of the Friends of the Alaska State Museum. Former vice president of the Juneau Garden Club, she helped write and edit the first edition of the book, Gardening in Southeast Alaska. She served on advisory boards for the Alaska Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums and for the Jensen-Olson Arboretum. She also founded the Friends of Auke Lake and was active in selected political campaigns.
Jackie loved flowers. A Southeast Alaska Master Gardener, she grew flowers and vegetables in every nook and cranny indoors and in the gardens of her homes in Lemon Creek, North Douglas and the dream home she designed on Auke Lake. Every place she lived had a greenhouse where she spent most of her free time "potting on" plants of all varieties. In the summer, family and friends referred to her house and yard as "Bouchart Gardens North."
An avid walker, Jackie felt that the day was not complete until she had walked four miles with her beloved dogs, Piper and Toby. Her cat, Gordon Lightfoot, was her gardening companion.
Married to Ron Swanson in 1992, Jackie loved to travel with her husband. They flew their airplane throughout much of the United States and Canada, especially to their cabin on Atlin Lake in British Columbia where Jackie entertained many friends, walked many miles, and planted many flowers.
The consummate hostess, always prepared with healthy "treats," Jackie had a great sense of humor and often quoted Alice Roosevelt Longworth: "If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me."
Surviving relatives include her husband, Ron Swanson; daughter, Carrie Lorensen; sister, Laurie Conti and her husband Rob; former mother-in-law and friend, Ingie Lorensen. Predeceased family members include her son, Brian Lorensen; former husband Ron Lorensen, and her father and mother, Bill and Doris Schutt.
Donations in Jackie's name may be sent to Hospice and Home Care of Juneau, 419 6th St., Juneau, AK 99801. Services will be announced at a later date.
