Joel Lynn Read Jr.

Joel Lynn Read Jr. died Jan. 20, 2007, at St. Elias Specialty Hospital in Anchorage from staph pneumonia. He was 51.

Read was born Sept. 23, 1956, in Crowell, Texas. In 1963 he moved with his family to Alaska, and in 1968 began homesteading up Knik River on Hunter Creek. He continued to live in the Palmer area until his death.

The same adventurous spirit Read shared with his father led him on many exciting journeys — climbing mountains, riding his Harley around the Hawaiian Islands, and king crab fishing in the Bering Sea. Read’s life was all about living the Alaska dream of hunting and fishing. What he loved most was spending time with his friends and family fishing for halibut off Anchor Point or king salmon fishing on the Deshka River, his family said. Read also had a good heart and was always reaching out to help others.

For many years, he worked on the North Slope oil fields as a specialty truck driver and was a partner in Knik River Timber Products LLC. He was proud of being awarded a grant from the U.S. Forest Service to expand and produce kiln-dried lumber for cabinetry and indoor flooring from dead standing timber harvested locally.

Read is survived by his mother and stepfather, Bobbie and Roger Brophy of Palmer; sister Susan (Sam) Edge and their children, Jessica, Geoffrey and Laura, all of Palmer; and grandson Aden; sister Jill Mullins of Arizona; sister Janet Read and her husband, Craig Price, of Anchorage; and sister Amy Read and her son Dylan of Arizona. He is also survived by many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Joel Lynn Read Sr.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Jan. 26 at Valley Church of Christ, 6901 E. Blue Lupine Drive off North Service Road in Palmer. In lieu of flowers, donations to the local Red Cross or Salvation Army would be appreciated by the family.

The family will also host a celebration of his life in the summer on the homestead at Hunter Creek to carry out Read’s last wishes of being returned to the earth in the place he loved and called home.