Anatole “Andy” Borys Mischenko

Anatole “Andy” Borys Mischenko died on September 17, 2015, of natural causes at his home in Talkeetna, Alaska. He was 73 years old.

A celebration of life service will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, at the Church on the Rock (Mile 99 Parks Highway).

Andy was born in Labinsk, Russia, to the late Borys and Nina Mischenko on August 22, 1942. The family fled the Soviet Union when Andy was still an infant. After being interred as prisoners-of-war in Germany, in 1950 the family immigrated to Priest River, Idaho.

In 1969, Andy and several friends headed to Alaska, where Andy developed a career as a heavy equipment operator working on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. In the town of Talkeetna he met his wife, Sandra Becker, and married her on September 2, 1972. They settled in Talkeetna and raised their four children there. He retired from being an operator in 1984, due to a crippling injury.

Andy is survived by his wife, Sandra, and his four children: Craig of Vancouver, Washington (spouse Grace), Brennan, Garret (spouse Noelle), and Katrina of Talkeetna, Alaska. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Benaiah, Aaron, Ivan, Naomi, Bailey, Micah, Timothy, Joseph and Seth.