Gary Kimball, 51, passed away peacefully in his loving wife’s and step-children’s arms at home Nov. 15 at 9:25 a.m. after a courageous fight with cancer.

Gary was born Oct. 19, 1958 in Rumford, Maine, one of six children. Gary spent his youth growing up in Maine and enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, gardening, fishing and working with his hands. He joined the Air Force soon after high school and was stationed in Alaska, which he loved and where spent the rest of his life.

Gary was employed with ESS Support Services for the past 20 years and was the Alaska District Manager at the time of his death. While employed with ESS, Gary traveled to every corner of the state building remote site work camps and managing projects. He made many friends and earned the respect of clients and co-workers through his lead by example — no nonsense honesty, compassion and a hard work style of management. He was an expert craftsman working with wood and over the course of his life built several woodworking shops and many fine pieces of furniture and cabinetry. Gary was an avid fisherman and made the most of our short Alaskan summers where you could find him with his friends boating and fishing out of Homer or Seward in pursuit of big halibut and salmon. He caught and landed many whoppers, but his most memorable day fishing was when he hooked into and landed a 410-pound halibut, a picture of which graced the cover of the Seward Visitors Guide several years ago.

When you saw a picture of Gary, you noticed two things: the big, warm-hearted smile and some sort of fish and friends in the photo. While Gary loved his job, loved his woodworking and loved his fishing and outdoors lifestyle, what he will be remembered for most by his friends and family is he always put everyone else first in his life. He was always first to lend a hand, always first to ask how someone was doing, and always took a fatherly interest in his friends’ children, attending many of their school and sporting events and lending advice to them. He spent the night before he passed away making calls to his family and friends to say his goodbyes and ease their pain, while dealing with his own.

Gary is survived by the love of his life and caregiver Carol Kimball; his step-children Billy and Andrea Trent of Alaska; his father William Kimball; mother Jeannine Hall; his three sisters Brenda Lutick, Tammy Cote, Neva Lovorgna; and his two brothers Bill and John Kimball, all from Maine.

He will be missed and is loved by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and friends. Gary leaves behind his two best friends and co-workers George Cuzzort and Larry Weihs, and also leaves behind his loyal companion and man’s best friend, his dog Homer. Gary will be extremely missed and thought of every day.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Gary on Nov. 28th at 1 p.m. at the American Legion Post 33 at 21426 Old Glenn Hwy., Peters Creek, AK 99567. Also, a memorial fishing trip will be held in Homer on the Fourth of July, 2010 on Gary’s boat “Poo.”

In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations are sent to the Mat-Su Animal Control Shelter where on Oct. 22 Gary and Carol picked out their newest member of their family, Lucky Kimball.

Arrangements by Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel in Wasilla.