Ken DeCamp

Ken DeCamp died at home on Dec. 9, 2007 after a 10-year battle with liposarcoma, a rare form of cancer. A reception and celebration of friendship and life will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, at Evangelo’s Restaurant in Wasilla.

DeCamp was born on July 18, 1941 in Grants Pass, Ore., to Richard E. and Eleanor (Sherman) DeCamp. He grew up in Salem, Ore., and graduated from South Salem High School in 1959. He attended Oregon State University and graduated with an associate’s degree in land surveying from Oregon Institute of Technology. He worked as a professional land surveyor for the remainder of his adult life.

DeCamp came to Alaska in 1967 with BLM. He worked for DOWL engineers for a decade before opening his own business in Wasilla with partners Floyd Dollerhide and Bill Brown. He served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and was mayor of Wasilla when the city transitioned from second- to first-class status. He also served terms on the platting board for the Mat-Su Borough. DeCamp taught surveying courses at Anchorage Community College in the ‘80s and spent his life mentoring young surveyors and promoting his profession. He was a licensed surveyor in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, California, Colorado and Nevada. He served terms as president and board member of the Alaska land surveyor’s society and also served as a national surveyor’s test reviewer.

DeCamp’s sisters Carol Boudreau (Mike Burt) and Jeanne Leeper and their children and grandchildren of Washington State survive him, as do his aunts Norma Sherman and Margene Ryan and special cousins Mary, Jerry, Linda and Irene (Sherman). He also is survived by his wife of the last 22 years, Ruth, and his children and their families: Susan Guerri of Huntington, Ore.; Kiska Cureton (Wesley) of Long Beach, Calif.; Karen DeCamp of Boise, Idaho; Ken Jr. DeCamp (Karla) of Wasilla; Kelly Thaler (Eric) of Wasilla and Patrick DeCamp of Palmer. Grandchildren Mandy, Cierra, Kaela, Kyle and Nolan also survive him as does his former wife, Olga (Swetzof). His parents preceded him in death as did his special Uncle Clyde Sherman and brothers in-law Rick Boudreau and Bill Leeper.

His family said DeCamp lived through his illness as he lived the rest of his life: with spirit, loyalty, gusto, honesty, integrity and unwavering character.

According to his wishes, no funeral is planned and DeCamp will be buried in a private service at Wasilla’s Aurora Cemetery arranged through Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel. Pallbearers will include son Ken DeCamp Jr., son-in-law Eric Thaler and friends John Howe, Paul Minnick, John Riggs, Ken Gittlein, Greg Berg and Vic Kohring.