Konstantin Gorioushkin

Eagle River resident Konstantin Kostya "Stan" Gorioushkin, 24, died unexpectedly in his sleep at home Jan. 21, 2012.

A public viewing is from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Funeral services are at 7 p.m., Jan. 30 at Saint John Orthodox Cathedral, 18940 Monastery Drive, Eagle River. Rev. Marc Dunaway and Rev. Thomas Frizelle will officiate.

Konstantin was born Sept. 5, 1987, in Magadan, Russia, the son of Pavel Gorioushkin and Svetlana (Oganesyan) Gabbard.

Kostya's favorite quote was, "It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by six."

From the time Kostya was a young boy he accepted people for who they were. No matter how diverse a person's ethnic, religious or economic background, Kostya believed everyone was equal. Kostya looked past all differences and saw the heart of a person.

Kostya was someone you could count on. He was always willing to help and never wanted anything in return. Kostya moved to Alaska in 1997 and graduated from Chugiak High School. He later worked for Parker Drilling on the North Slope and received multiple achievements in advanced training.

Coworkers remember Kostya by saying, "The oil field lost a good, solid guy and we lost a good friend."

Family and friends remember Kostya as an inspiring young man with wit and an incredible sense of humor. The thing people noticed first about him was his ability to light up a room with his big, bright smile.

To his mom, dad, family and friends, he meant the world. They will always remember him as an exceptional young man with a smile on his face, a joke on his lips and a hand stretched out to help others.

Valley Funeral Home and Crematory cared for the family.