CURT W. WAGNER JR.

Talkeetna resident Curt W. Wagner Jr. died on July 26, 2010, of cancer at Mat-Su Regional Hospital, weeks short of his 88th birthday.

Curt was born in Anchorage in 1922 to Curt and Gertrude Wagner. He grew up in Fairbanks and studied under Alaska artist Ted Lambert. He served in the U.S. Army at Guadalcanal during World War II.

Upon his return, Curt studied at the American Academy of Arts in Chicago.

The lure of painting Mt. McKinley brought him to Talkeetna in 1949 where he started painting Mt. McKinley and pioneer lifestyles.

Curt moved to Trapper Creek, where he homesteaded 160 acres of land and painted the 5-by-12-foot picture hanging in the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.

At the age of 60, Curt took a break from painting to pursue his love of sailing; as a novice he sailed alone in his 32-foot sailboat from Port Townsend, Wash., to Homer, Alaska. He lived aboard his sailboat for 14 years.

Upon returning to Talkeetna, Curt continued to paint Mt. McKinley and seascapes.

In 2000, he was one of the artists featured in the Alaska Geographic “Painting Alaska.” His paintings hang in many private homes and at the Talkeetna Elementary School.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Margaret Arnhold and Anna Heffentrager, and brother Robert Wagner.

He is survived by nieces Evelyn Tilley and Gertrude Hinds, and nephews Robert Wagner and Frank Heffentrager.

His solitary life saw him in many ports of call and his sense of person brought many smiles and friendships, his family wrote.

Visitation and service will take place at the Talkeetna VFW Post 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2, with burial at noon at the Talkeetna Cemetery with an Honor Guard from the military services. Family and friends will celebrate Curt’s life at a community potluck at the Latitude 62 Lodge in Talkeetna at 1 p.m.

Donations may be made in Curt’s memory to an account at the Mat Valley Federal Credit Union for the Talkeetna Fire and Ambulance Service.

Arrangements by Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel & Crematory in Wasilla.