John Marvin Webster

An Alaska resident for 50 years, John Marvin Webster, 82, died Dec. 13, 2012, at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer.

He was born March 22, 1930, to John and May Norton Webster in Lead, S.D. He graduated from Lead High School in 1949.

As a sophomore, he started working summers for the Homestake Gold Mine Water Department. This led to a full-time job until 1962. He was an avid outdoorsman, fisherman and conservationist. Before work and on weekends, you could find him on streams in Spearfish Canyon with a fly rod in his hand.

He married classmate Audrey Reed in 1952. Ten years later, the lure of king salmon fishing brought them to Alaska. With the opening of king salmon fishing, his lifelong dream came true. You would find him at his “home away from home” on the Anchor River with his fly rod.

He worked in Bush Alaska for the Bureau of Indian Affairs until he was hired on by the U.S. Postal Service in 1963. He was a city of Anchorage letter carrier until 1974. He was then promoted to VOA (vehicle operations analyst) until he retired in November 1990. In 1999, they moved to Palmer.

Surviving are his wife of 60 years, Audrey; son, Neil Webster and daughter, Karen Ann Webster, both of Anchorage; grandchildren, Shasta Kahoalii of Houston, Texas, Lindsey Tolson of Kent, Wash., and Chase Johnson of Anchorage; daughter-in-law Cheryl Johnson of Anchorage; great-grandsons, Stone and Brody Tolson of Kent, Wash., and Caleb Kahoalii of Houston, Texas; sister, Dolly Pribe of Chamberlain, S.D.; brothers, Duane Webster of Hermosa, S.D., and Charles Webster of Deadwood, S.D.; aunt, Mable Norton of Grand Forks, B.C., Canada; and several nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents; son, Keith; and daughter, Donna Gail.

He had many interests that included life membership in the Buck Knife Collectors Club, NARFE, National Rifle Association, life member in the North America Hunting and Fishing Club, AARP, Senior Circle and Pioneers of Alaska Anchorage Igloo No. 15.

A memorial service will be held at Kehl’s Palmer Mortuary in late spring 2013, with burial at Angelus Memorial Park in Anchorage.