Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Betty Russell Larsen
Betty Russell Larsen died peacefully Dec. 9, 2010 in Sitka surrounded by family and friends.
She was born in 1923 in Rochester, N.Y., to Alice and Fred Russell. After graduating from high school in Rochester, she and her sister Mary Alice joined the Navy in order to qualify for the GI Bill. She went on to earn bachelor’s and masters’ degrees in education and taught school in New York and California prior to moving to Alaska.
In 1959 she ran into her childhood neighbor, John Larsen, who was in Rochester visiting his parents. He convinced her to move to Juneau that summer. They married in Anchorage in 1962 and were living there during the 1964 earthquake. Later that year, they returned to Juneau and lived here until they retired in 1978.
Betty taught school in Douglas, Juneau and Anchorage. She enjoyed sewing, fishing and spending time with her family at their cabin in Taku Harbor. After they retired, she and John spent many happy years traveling and living in various locations in the Lower 48 and Canada. In 1999 they returned to Juneau and Betty moved into the Sitka Pioneer Home in 2001.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents and sister Mary Alice.
She is survived by her husband John, daughter Mary, sisters Marjorie and Jane, and many nieces and nephews.
Condolences should be addressed to John Larsen at P.O. Box 6047; Sitka, AK 99835.
Gary Allen Sturrock
Former Juneau resident Gary Allen Sturrock died May 16, 2008, at his home in Woodinville, Wash., following a short battle with cancer. His family was by his side. He was 53.
Born March 30, 1955, in Juneau, to Hub and Dorothy Sturrock, he graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School and entered the plumbing and refrigeration apprentice program. He worked for Tandy Food Equipment before going in to partnership with Mike Tennison at Alaska Refrigeration.
He moved to Anchorage and worked in maintenance at the Anchorage Municipal Airport. Later, he moved his family to Woodinville, where he worked refrigeration and air conditioning for several employers before joining maintenance at the University of Washington.
He is survived by his wife, Margy Sturrock, son, Tyler Sturrock, and daughter, Brittany Sturrock, all of Woodinville; sister, Sue Judson and husband, Alan, of Juneau; and brothers, Sandy Sturrock and wife, Jeannie, Jim Sturrock and wife, Kathy, and Mike Sturrock and wife, Kelly, all of Juneau.
Funeral services will be at a later date. Burial will be held at Evergreen Cemetery.
Duane Richard Haffner (1 of 2)
Duane Richard Haffner died Feb. 23, 2011, at the Sitka Pioneer Home.
Haffner was born July 16, 1923, in Saskatchewan. He served in the U.S. Army from March 1943 until February 1946, then he worked many jobs in and around Juneau and the state of Alaska. He retired as a mechanic foreman from Alaska Electric Light & Power in October 1985, and set up Haffner’s Sharp All Shop where he kept everyone happy with sharp tools, knives and whatever else needed to be sharpened, “everything except their wits” his family wrote he used to say.
He was preceded in death by his parents Andrew Herman and Eunice Blanch Haffner; former wife Gene Haffner; daughter Cathy Hildre; sisters Vernice Kirchhoffer, Irene Farwell, and Florence Floreski; and brother Edward Kenneth Haffner.
He is survived by his wife B. Jewel Haffner of Juneau; son Richard D. (Misty) Haffner of Juneau; brothers Herman “Mick” (Marge), Robert A. “Swede” (Judy) and Benjamin Omar “Ben” Haffner, all of Juneau; son-in-law Peter Hildre of Juneau; grandchildren Fathom (George) Whiteley of Juneau, Coral and Brenyer Haffner of Juneau, Timothy and Tiffany Hildre of Juneau and Tracie (Jeff) Devere of Olympia, Wash.; and great-grandchildren Tristan and Jamie Devere of Olympia.
Services are scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church on Twin Lakes, 4625 Glacier Highway.
Duane Richard Haffner (2 of 2)
Duane Richard Haffner died Feb. 23, 2011, at the Sitka Pioneer Home.
Haffner was born July 16, 1923, in Saskatchewan. He served in the U.S. Army from March 1943 until February 1946, then he worked many jobs in and around Juneau and the state of Alaska. He retired as a mechanic foreman from Alaska Electric Light & Power in October 1985, and set up Haffner’s Sharp All Shop where he kept everyone happy with sharp tools, knives and whatever else needed to be sharpened, “everything except their wits” his family wrote he used to say.
He is survived by his wife B. Jewel Haffner of Juneau; son Richard D. (Misty) Haffner of Juneau; brothers Herman “Mick” (Marge), Robert A. “Swede” (Judy) and Benjamin Omar “Ben” Haffner, all of Juneau; grandchildren Fathom (George) Whiteley of Juneau, Coral and Brenyer Haffner of Juneau, Timothy and Tiffany Hildre of Juneau and Tracie (Jeff) Devere of Olympia, Wash.; and great-grandchildren Tristan and Jamie Devere of Olympia.
Services are scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church on Twin Lakes, 4625 Glacier Highway.
Hunter Ray Wolfe
Hunter Ray Wolfe passed away Feb. 22, 2011, in Juneau at the age of 21, succumbing to his own private, internal struggles by his own hand.
He was born Sept. 8, 1989, to Ron and Sherri Wolfe and grew up in Juneau.
Hunter was a talented athlete and through his school years played on Juneau championship teams for Little League baseball, youth soccer and JDHS football. He also enjoyed big, powerful pickup trucks, motorcycles, dirt-biking, snowboarding, hunting and fishing. In 2007 he left Juneau to attend school in California, but came home to walk with his 2009 JDHS graduating class. Shortly afterwards he returned to California to complete his California Drug and Alcohol Counseling Certificate.
He touched the lives of many young men and women struggling with addiction. Alaska tugged at his heart though, and in June of 2010 Hunter returned to Juneau to spend time with his friends and family before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He was excited for his new path in life and was to ship out April 4 for basic training. His family wrote that Hunter is not defined by his death, but by the way in which he lived his life. Family and friends appreciated his wonderful shy sense of humor and his love, caring, kindness and concern towards others.
His family wrote that Hunter is loved by many and he knew how deeply his parents loved him. His burdens have now been lifted; he is in the loving arms of our Savior Jesus Christ and is at peace in the care of our Lord.
He is preceded in death by his uncle Rick Wolfe, grandfathers George Wolfe and John Willet and grandmother Marvis Townsend. He is survived by his parents, loving brother Forrest, “Grandma ‘B’” Bettie Willet of Oklahoma City, uncle Douglas Townsend of Baltimore and his extended families of Loken, Hanna, Gissel, Josephson and Debbie Quinn of Juneau. A celebration of his life will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Chapel by the Lake Presbyterian Church, 11024 Auke Lake Way. In lieu of flowers please send contributions (make checks payable) to the Hunter Wolfe Memorial Fund at Wells Fargo Bank, 123 Seward St., Juneau, AK 99801. All donations will be contributed to the Juneau Community Foundation in Hunter Wolfe’s name.
Fernando G. Orozco
Fernando G. Orozco died Feb. 16, 2011. His family wrote he was surrounded by family and died peacefully at his home.
He was born June 11, 1926 in El Paso, Texas. He received a diesel engineering degree and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars.
He was a 39-year resident of Juneau. He worked as a merchant in hospitality and as a carpenter.
He is survived by his wive Lourdes Orozco; daughter Victoria Orozco; son Alejandro Orozco; and grandchild Kevin Orozco.
A service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 9055 Atlin Dr.
