Alaska School Yearbooks by County
Stanley Ray Miller
Longtime resident Stanley Ray Miller, 77, died Jan. 18, 2005, in Juneau.
Miller was born on Nov. 19, 1927, in North Bend, Ind.
Miller joined the U.S. Coast Guard at the age of 17. He was stationed in Michigan, Greece, Alabama and Washington, D.C., before transferring to Juneau in 1964. After retiring from the Coast Guard, he took a job with the state Department of Transportation.
While raising his family and working full-time, Stan found time to teach youth baseball. He and his wife spent countless hours at the baseball fields, now known as the Miller Fields 1 & 2 at Glacier Valley Elementary School. He was also active at the state and western regional levels, serving as district administrator, traveling annually to San Bernardino, Calif., where he was director of closing ceremonies.
Miller served as executive director of St. Vincent DePaul Society, was a member of the Knights of Columbus-4th Degree, a member of the St. Paul's A.C.T.S. community, and past St. Paul's Parish Council president and volunteer of the parish. He also served on the board of directors for the Southeast Alaska Food Bank.
He is survived by brother, David Miller; sister, Marilyn McCluskey; sister-in-law, Virginia Cowgill; his children, Norm (Chris) Miller of Florida; PJ (Tom) Karpstein of Juneau; David (Reginald VanPelt) of Palm Springs, Calif.; Michael Miller of Juneau; Cindy Miller of Oregon City, Ore.; and Dianna (Tom) Lenfestey of Palmer; grandchildren, Shawn and Robbie Miller, Heather Karpstein, Nicolette Drummond-Savage, Daniel Miller, Justin Miller, Michelle and Steven Lenfestey; and great-grandchildren, Sara and Dori Savage.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mae Miller; his wife, Joann; and sister, Joyce Shelby.
A celebration of Miller's life was held on Saturday, Jan. 22, at St. Paul's Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Gastineau Channel Little League or St. Paul's Catholic Church in Stan's honor. Cards can be mailed to c/o PJ Karpstein, P. O. Box 20393, Juneau, AK 99802.
Raymond Couts
Juneau resident Raymond Edward Couts, 81, died Jan. 11, 2005, peacefully at home.
He is the beloved husband of Jane Ann Couts and devoted father of Melinda (Bruce) Carr of Juneau, and Cindy (Keith) Bessire of Menifee, Calif.
He loved his summers, fishing with his grandchildren, Adam and Lauren Cormany. He had a great appreciation for the outdoors, wildlife and wilderness. He fished, hunted and camped often with his family and friends.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and served in the South Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Fuller, APA7. While he was aboard the Fuller, the boat carried Marines ashore from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, and received nine battle stars.
His family says, "He expressed sincere appreciation for the quality care he received from the Juneau Medical Community and from the staff and volunteers of Hospice. He was grateful for his friends at the DIPAC dock who helped him net his fish when his cancer weakened him, and for the engineers who designed the ramp for handicap vehicular access. He requested that some tree limbs be cut on his property so he could see the dock from his North Douglas view window and reflect on the good times."
He was a sporting goods salesman. His family says, "He was incredibly honest, hard-working and resourceful. His friendly outgoing personality blessed everyone who met him. He will be greatly missed."
He is survived by loving grandchildren, Adam Cormany of Juneau, Lauren Cormany of Garden Farms, Calif., Shari Burnier of Ladera Ranch, Calif, Brian Bessire of Whittier, Calif., and Julie Ruiz of Placentia, Calif., as well as precious great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his caring brother, Duane (Karen) Couts of Redding, Calif.
Services will be held in California, where he lived a majority of his life. Memorial gifts can be directed to the Cancer Society or Hospice and Home Care of Juneau, 419 Sixth St., Juneau, AK 99801.
Enrique Raul Ruiz
Former Juneau resident Enrique Raul Ruiz, 26, died in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, in an auto accident on Jan. 6, 2005.
He was born on Dec. 22, 1978, in Portland, Oregon.
He is survived by fiance, Amber Chase; mother, Sandra Stogden-Ruiz; father, Danny M. Ruiz; stepfather, Richard Moreno; brothers, Daniel Ruiz, Jr., Emiliano E. and Andy Nelson; grandfather, Carlos Ramos; grandmother, Natalie Stogden-Ramos; grandmother, Ysida Ruiz; and many uncles, aunts and cousins.
A service was held in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, on Jan. 12, 2005.
Clarence Foster
Lifelong Juneau resident Clarence "Clancy" Foster, 84, died peacefully at home on Jan. 18, 2005.
He was born in Juneau on Oct. 14, 1920, to John Foster, who first arrived in Alaska as part of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898, and to Zealandria Griffin Foster, who emigrated from Australia to Alaska in 1906. During his early years, he lived in a boarding house for AJ miners, owned by his mother and located where the Baranof Hotel is today. He graduated from Juneau High School in 1940.
In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served two combat tours of duty in a bombing squadron in the Pacific during World War II. He was called "Juneau" by his squadron mates because they considered Juneau such an unusual place to be from. After the war, he worked for Pacific Northern Airways. In 1948, he married Rosine Eglsaer at the Cathedral of the Nativity in Juneau.
In 1949, he began his career in the trucking and fuel delivery business, initially as the sole owner of Foster's Transfer. In the 1950s, he combined with several other local businesses to form Chilkat Fuel and Alaska Transfer. Upon retirement, he worked in the tourism industry for many years as a tour bus driver.
Travel was a great pleasure for him, and he and Rosine were able to travel extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. In his final years, he was content to remain in Juneau. His family says, "Toward the end of his life, he said that he'd had a wonderful, satisfying life. His favorite word was grandpa."
He is survived by his wife, Rosine; children, Mary, Ann and John; grandsons, Nicholas and Michael; and former son-in-law and good friend, Jerry Buckley, all of Juneau.
A memorial mass will be said at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21, 2005, at the Cathedral of the Nativity, 416 Fifth Street. A reception will follow in the parish hall. Contributions may be made to Hospice and Home Care of Juneau.
Mae Ellen Singer
Juneau resident Mae Ellen (Haube) Singer, 37, died Jan. 12, 2005.
She was born Feb. 21, 1968, in Petersburg. She graduated from Petersburg High School in 1986. She attended Seward Technical Vocational Training, as well as attending welding and culinary arts school in Seattle. Her primary job was as a cook, but she also worked various other jobs in Alaska, including the seafood industry. She was an active P.C.C. representative in Juneau. She also belonged to the Eagle, Killer Whale Tribe of Juneau.
Her family and friends said, "She enjoyed making people smile and laugh. Mae also liked to play jokes on family members and friends. She also considered her cooking more enjoyable than a chore or a job." Her favorite pastimes included spending time with her children, family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Curtis Singer of Billings, Mont.; her maternal grandparents, Robert and Nellie Hanson of Hoonah; Kelly James of Kake; Albert Hanson of Hoonah; Margaret Sterling of Petersburg; Ivy Berkley of Petersburg; Max and Rose Haube of Petersburg; Fred Yatchmenoff of Petersburg; and cousins, Russell James, Jr., of Kake, Yvonne (Hanson) Earl of Hoonah, and Lillian Hanson of Juneau.
She is survived by her sons, Curtis and Paul of Billings, Mont.; daughter, Taylor Singer, of Billings; mother, Bernice W. Johnson of Hoonah; her father, Arnold J. Haube of Petersburg; her sisters, Arlene Marks of Lawrence, Kan., Anita Haube of Anchorage, Ivy Haube and Carol Haube of Juneau, and Margaret Haube of Hoonah; adoptive brother, Chris LaVallee; brother-in-law, Joel Charles of Juneau; grandparents, Tommy and Maggie Jimmie of Juneau and Betty James of Kake; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Honorary pallbearers are Pat Mills, Norman Smith, Walter Smith, Owen James, Tommy Jimmy and George Mayeda. Pallbearers are Christopher LaVallee, Calvin Weimer, Dean Henderson, Ron Cropley, Jim Jackson, Michael James and Tim James.
A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 19, 2005, at the Tlingit and Haida Community Center on Hospital Drive. Donations can be sent to help the family at 4056 Granite St., Juneau, AK 99803. A very special thanks to those who have already sent donations.
