John “Pops” LaMountain

Wasilla resident John “Pops” LaMountain, 73, passed away August 5, 2016, at his home. A celebration of life will be held at the Roadside Inn at mile 49.5 Parks Highway in Wasilla on Sunday, August 14 at 4 p.m.

John was born September 28, 1942, in Hanover, New Hampshire to Earl and Rita LaMountain, and grew up on the family’s dairy farm. He graduated from Thetford Academy in 1960 in Thetford, Vermont. After graduation, John joined the United States Air Force in 1961 and this brought him to Fairbanks, Alaska, where he resided until 1990. John left the Air Force in 1965 and spent 4 years working for the Fairbanks Police Department before transferring to Fairbanks Fire Department in 1969. The police and fire department were in the same building and he described the transition as just coming to work in a different uniform the next day.

During this time, John became an auctioneer and owned a construction firm with one of his best friends and fellow firefighter, Skip Causey. When he wasn’t working, he passed the time racing dirt track in North Pole, Alaska. He has frequently been credited as the best engine driver the fire department has ever seen.

After 17 years with the Fairbanks Fire Department, John retired as Fire Captain in 1986. During the Valdez oil crisis in 1989 he headed the security division. Shortly after returning from the oil spill, John lived in several different areas around the United States including Kentucky, New York, and Washington before returning to Alaska in 2004.

In his retirement, he loved cruising around in his Raptor and enjoying time with his children and grandchildren. He continued his childhood hobby of coin collecting and pursued a longtime passion for car racing with his son, Damian LaMountain. John always had the racing spirit within him. In his later years, he was able to continue the racing lifestyle through Damian and the many friends they made within the valley racing community.

John’s daughter, Maya wrote, “I’ve never known someone so thoughtful and generous. He was always there to offer advice and support to both longtime friends and those he had just met. His presence around the racetrack and around his family will be sorely missed. We will carry on his legacy by following his lead in looking out for others and chasing new adventures.”

His son, Damian, added, “Even though Pops was a giant among men, the biggest thing about him was his heart.”

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Zane and Jill LaMountain and their son, Reid LaMountain, of Ellicott City, Maryland; his son, Damian LaMountain, of Wasilla, Alaska; daughter and son-in-law, Maya and Kevin Wheeler and their sons, Brayden and Caleb Wheeler, of Hillsboro, Oregon. He was preceded in death by his sister, Marie Wurtz, and his parents, Earl and Rita LaMountain.