Arthur “Art” Jerald Manginelli

Arthur "Art" Jerald Manginelli, 80, died Dec. 7, 2011, at his home in Wasilla after a long battle with cancer.

Art was born Feb. 8, 1931, in Fort Robertson, Neb., ready for his life of adventure. He ran away from home at 14 to join a circus and see the country. In 1947, he misled a recruiter about his age and joined the Navy, eventually helping to rebuild Pearl Harbor.

He moved to Alaska in 1956 to continue his adventures and meet and married his wife, Eva. He worked as a lumberjack in the Sitka area and helped rebuild and relocate Valdez after the earthquake. He was a heavy equipment operator, building various airports around Alaska, and a gold miner. Those were some of his adventures.

Art also owned a ship sandblasting and painting business in Homer and spent a good deal of time driving trucks on the Haul Road.

"Dad was an ice road trucker before anyone knew that was a thing," his family wrote.

He and Eva eventually settled in Wasilla, but his life never slowed down. In his scarce free time, Art enjoyed fabricating items from scratch using wood or metal, traveling and spending time with his family.

"Dad's heart and hands were the size of Alaska," his family wrote. "You could always count on him to lend a helping hand. His zest and adventure for life cannot be compared. Daddy was a real life action hero, our own John Wayne. We are going to miss him terribly. We look forward to being with him again on the other side."

He is survived by his wife, Eva Manginelli; daughters, Patricia Johnson, Toni Gideon, Tamera Moore-Grimes, Pamela Spicer, Monique Potter and Kimberly Manginelli; sons, Jerald and Kenneth Manginelli; brothers, Roy and Ralph; sisters, Viola, Nita and Ellen; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

His sister Alice preceded him in death.

Per his wishes, there will be no services. His final resting place will be in Homer, which Art described as being "the most beautiful place (he) had ever been."