JAMES ADAMS TAPSCOTT

James Adams Tapscott, 86, died at his Anchorage home on Oct. 8, 2005. Services will be held at 2 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 8th and F streets in Anchorage, on Saturday, Oct. 15. His ashes will be scattered over his favorite fishing hole on the Kenai River.

Mr. Tapscott was born June 22, 1919, in Inglewood, Calif. After graduating from Santa Ana High, he attended Santa Barbara State College and private California art schools. In 1938, while interning at Walt Disney Studios, Tapscott's artwork won &#8221best of show“ at the Laguna Beach Festival of Art. He also won a gold medal for art students at San Francisco's World's Fair in 1939. At the time of his death, Mr. Tapscott was retired.

Mr. Tapscott's first trip to Alaska was on the S.S. Yukon in 1939. He returned in 1941 and worked as a surveyor for the Alaska Road Commission and on mining claims throughout the territory. In 1942, he joined the War Department and traveled throughout Alaska surveying property and facilities for the military. He also served as base artist and division artist for the Alaska Air Command at Ladd Field and Edmonton Air Force Base. He met his future wife, Mildred, on his return from the military. They were married by the Rev. Warren Fenn in All Saints Episcopal church in June 1946.

Mr. Tapscott opened a commercial art studio and later formed a partnership, TK Artists, with Armand Kirschbaum in Anchorage in the 1940s. From 1949 to 1955, Tapscott traveled the territory for the Bailey Covey Co., selling Hills Bros. coffee, Nabisco, Pilot bread, Fisher's flour and various other lines. In 1955 he opened James Tapscott Inc., a food and restaurant equipment consulting, design, installation and servicing business. He was the top salesman in the U.S. and Canada for Hobart Manufacturing Co.

Mr. Tapscott's legacy of Alaskan artwork began with a historical mural created for the Anchorage Elks Lodge in 1967. In 1972, Tapscott was commissioned to create 20 bas-relief panels depicting Alaska's history for the Alaska Mutual Bank. Some of the panels are on permanent display in the Key Bank Plaza adjacent to the Performing Arts Center.

The Tapscotts moved to Wasilla in 1977 to semi-retire and oversee their commercial rentals. He served on the Wasilla City Council and planning commission and contributed countless volunteer hours to various civic organizations. He was president of the Valley Pioneer Igloo in 1984/85 and was also a grand trustee. He and his wife were chosen Anchorage Pioneer King and Queen Regents in 1995.

Mr. Tapscott enjoyed creating works of art in a variety of media throughout his life. He especially enjoyed fishing, hunting and classical music.

He is survived by his wife, Mildred; daughter, Lynn Maier of Olympia, Wash., and two grandsons, Erik McKinnon of Renton, Wash., and Greg McKinnon of Juneau.

Arrangements are with the Anchorage Funeral Home.