Gerald “Jerry” Ray Fike

Gerald “Jerry” Ray Fike, 73, died May 4, 2011.

A Celebration of life is at 4 p.m., June 4 at Jerry’s residence, 5851 Bonapart in Wasilla.

Jerry was born on Aug. 8, 1937, to Charles and Lula Fike in Porterville, Calif., the second of four sons, including older brother Chuck and younger brothers Dale and Ben.

Jerry grew to be an outstanding scrapper in and around the fruit camps in California. His motto was “never say whoa in a horse race.” He won a football scholarship to Abilene Christian College and was invited to join the Los Angeles Angels baseball team. Instead, he was the first employee for Wall’s (Walco) and then became the best cattle buyer in the 11 Western states and Mexico. A champion roper, he vacationed across the West by winning weekend jackpots roping, and he taught a good number of team ropers who went on to win world champion awards. In the early 1970s, he managed 55,000-head feedlots for Winthrop Rockefeller and was a highly respected stockman.

In Alaska, he fished commercially, was heli-tack chief for BLM fire suppression and was a skilled sawmiller, setting up and operating the Ester sawmill. Jerry helped to clean up Amchitka following the U.S. nuclear testing there. He worked on the North Slope and the Parks Highway construction. He built many log homes in the Mat-Su area, and was known for his attention to detail. His first was for Mary Carey and her sister near Talkeetna.

Jerry Fike was Teamsters Labor Union No. 959 steward for the trans-Alaska pipeline construction from Isabel Pass south through Valdez terminal.

He is survived by his sons, Chad, Colter, Justin and Brett Fike; granddaughter, Brooke, and grandsons, Dalton, Colson and Hayden Fike; numerous friends and extended family also remember him respectfully and fondly.