DAVID L. SOULAK

David L. Soulak died peacefully in his Palmer home Aug. 11, 2010, after a long battle with cancer. He was 73.

Funeral services will take place on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Palmer. A celebration of life will take place immediately following at the St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.

David was born Sept. 3, 1936, in Adams, Wis., to Mary and Harold Soulak. After his high school graduation, he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1954 to 1958. Two years later in Illinois, while studying architecture in college, he became a part-time city building inspector. His next job with a consulting engineer helped him a make a career change from architecture to engineering. In a short time he was working full-time in various city governments as sewer and water director, public works director and eventually city manager.

In 1981, he moved to Palmer to begin his work as the city manager until he retired in 1993. During his tenure, he was instrumental in developing the Public Safety Complex that included the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility, Alaska Courthouse, Alaska State Troopers Administrative Offices and the Palmer Police Department. He was also instrumental in securing land for the Alaska Job Corps Center located in Palmer. He also spearheaded obtaining land and funding for the Palmer Golf Course.

He was a extraordinary grant writer and his accomplishments for the city of Palmer are too numerous to mention. Under his leadership and tight fiscal management, Palmer lowered taxes and maintained services.

He was actively involved in promoting municipal issues statewide and was involved with the Alaska Municipal League. While in Palmer, he was the first recipient of the Employee of the Year award presented by the Alaska Municipal League. He as also a strong advocate of the Sister City Program and considered Saroma Town, Japan, his second home and that city’s Mayor Hori his “brother.”

Unable to remain idle and out of city service, he found himself helping communities in need of an administrator. He also served as interim city manager in Wrangell, Sand Point Naknek and Unalakleet. In 2003, he was the CEO of MTNT Ltd. in McGrath.

When he wasn’t dedicating his life to public service, David loved to putz at his many cabins on Lake Louise.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Woods Soulak; daughter, Bonnie (James) Hysmith of Spring, Texas; son, John Soulak of Wasilla; stepsons, Warren and Robert Woods; five grandchildren; two brothers, Joseph of South Milwaukee, Wis., and Gerald of Wonder Lake, Ill; and sister, Marjorie Sell of Janesville, Wis.

The Soulak family would like to thank Mat-Su Regional Hospice for its comfort and care, and David’s good friend “Kaz” and niece Else for all their comfort and support.

Arrangement are entrusted to Legacy Funeral Homes & Cremation Services — Kehl’s Palmer Chapel, legacyalaska.com.