obituaries

Aug. 31, 2007

James Timothy Decker

Former Fairbanks resident James Timothy Decker, 63, passed away from lung cancer on Aug. 24, at his Anchorage home with his son, Timmy, by his side.

He was born in Erie, Pa., on Oct. 22, 1943. He and his family moved to Fairbanks in 1948 where they made their home.

He was an entrepreneur. He and his family survived the 1967 Fairbanks flood and the trans-Alaska oil pipeline rush. He spent many hours at University Car Care Center which he and his father owned. His goal was to give full service to the community, and he succeeded.

Tim's first love was his family. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing. His friends meant the world to him. He was a proud Alaskan.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy Ann Decker; and parents, Pearl and Bob Decker.

He is survived by his sons, James T. &#8220Timmy” Decker II of Wasilla and Wayne A. Decker of Fairbanks; daughter, Kimberly S. Decker of Florida; sisters, Sherry Decker of Anchorage and Patty Decker of Fairbanks; brothers, Pat and Bob Locastro, both of California, Jerry Decker of Hawaii and Bobby Decker, who lives abroad.

One of Tim's last wishes was to come home to Fairbanks, which was granted.

His service will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31, at Chapel of Chimes. Friends are asked to attend and share their memories of Tim.

He will be laid to rest at Birch Hill Cemetery.

Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.

Matthew Charles Garcia

Wasilla resident Matthew Charles Garcia, 49, died Aug. 25, at home while surrounded by his immediate family from recurrent retropreritonial liposarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31, at Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel, 1015 South Check Street in Wasilla, with Hospice Chaplain Dan Grisham officiating. His ashes will be scattered in Gastineau Channel in Juneau, and in the waters near his grandparents' summer cabin &#8220up the Bay” in Angoon.

He was born on Oct. 2, 1957, in Juneau. He graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School in 1975, Kenai Peninsula Community College of the University of Alaska, The Tulsa Welding School in Oklahoma, and the Certified Welding School in Englewood, Colorado. He had lived and worked in various areas of Alaska, including Juneau, Admiralty Island, Anchorage, Prudhoe Bay, and Dutch Harbor. He also had lived and worked in Seattle Washington, Meridian Connecticut, and Denver Colorado.

He was baptized in the Presbyterian Church in Juneau. He enjoyed Harley-Davidson motorcycles, trucks, fishing, hunting, boating, and shooting.

He was preceded in death by his father, Matthew Garcia, and sister, Kathleen Marie Garcia.

Survivors are his mother, Marie Beasley; sister, Marilynn Torgerson and her husband, Mel; brother, Timothy Garcia; nephews, Matthew Travis Torgerson and Timothy Samuel Torgerson; step-brothers, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and companion, Ina Gibson-Wahrer.

Elsie Marie Smid

Big Lake resident Elsie Marie Smid, 81, died Aug. 28 at home.

No local services are planned.

She was born May 21, 1926, in Riverside, Calif. She came to Alaska in 1991, and had resided in Beluga and Big Lake. She was a homemaker and partner in her husband's taxidermy and construction business in Oregon from 1958 untl 1984, and was a baker and partner in her daughters' and son-in-law's business, Viapan Camp, in Beluga.

She enjoyed corresponding with friends and doing nice things for people.

Survivors are her daughter, Tamara Smid; son-in-law, Ted Taylor; sons, Brent Smid and David Smid; grandson, David Smid, Jr.; granddaughter, Dusti Smid Stark; brothers, Joe Pettitt, Roger Pettitt and David Pettitt; sisters-in-law, Judith Pettitt, Grace Mertes, Donna Pettitt and Carleen Pettitt; and niece, Stacey Weiss.

Arrangements are with Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel & Crematory.

Alice Marie Tauscher

Alice Marie Tauscher (Shaw), 72 passed away Aug. 8 at Elvie's Homecare in Wasilla after a long struggle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Per her wishes, a private family memorial service will be held at Valley Funeral Home, officiated by Pastor Steve Reem of the Palmer Highway Church of God.

She was born Jan. 2, 1935 in Superior, Wyoming and came to Alaska in the early 1940's, graduating from Ketchikan High School in 1952.

She lived in Myers Chuck and Ketchikan until 1967, then Juneau from 1967 until 1973, Washington and Oregon from 1973 until 1987, and finally in Wasilla since 1988.

She was a homemaker until 1968, when she went to work for the State of Alaska in Juneau from 1968 to1973; she then worked for Pacific Ventures in Auburn, Washington and Bremerton, Oregon from 1979 to1984. She retired from Doyon/Universal on the North Slope after working there from 1988 until 1997.

She enjoyed watching her grandsons play baseball and loved to read.

She is survived by sons Michael and his wife Linda Shaw, and Edward Shaw of Wasilla; sister Beverly Hammer of Petersburg, Alaska; grandsons Scott Moore and wife Lori of Guam, and Ronnie and Mikey Shaw of Wasilla; great granddaughters Corina and Courtney Moore of Guam; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Madilyn Olin; siblings Wilbur Olin, Shirley Nelson and Twila Kellogg; and beloved son, Ronnie.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Mat-Su Regional Homecare Hospice, 950 East Bogard Road, Suite 132, Wasilla 99654. Please donate generously.

Her ashes will be scattered at the lake she loved and her home at Blodgett Lake.

The family would like to thank Mat-Su Regional Homecare and Hospice, (Darlene) and Kitty Tardalo with Redi Care for their compassionate care in their mother's time of need.

Valley Funeral Home & Crematory of Wasilla and Palmer is assisting the family.

Kyle I. Turner

Kyle I. Turner passed away peacefully on Aug. 10 with his wife, Norma Jean, at his side. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and fought the after-effects for several years.

He was born May 11, 1927, in Brewster, Nebraska to Mark and Minnie Turner. At the age of 17, he joined the Navy and fought in the Pacific during World War II.

After serving his country, he continued his education, receiving a degree in business management.

He came to Alaska in 1954 on a hunting and fishing trip and fell in love with the land. He settled in Palmer, becoming the vice president of the Matanuska Valley Bank. After several mergers, the bank later became First Interstate Bank, where Kyle retired as an executive vice president.

Married to Judy Campbell in 1962, together they raised their three children, Don and Bill Campbell and Kyla Turner. In 1987, Kyle and Judy relocated to Texas, where they lived until Judy's passing in 1995.

Shortly after, he moved to Provo, Utah where he met and married Norma Jean Aitken.

He was active in his Alaskan community and was a member of the American Legion, Moose, Elks, and Masons. He loved fishing and hunting with his long-time friends and rarely passed up an opportunity to experience the great Alaskan outdoors.

He is survived by his wife Norma Jean of Provo, Utah; siblings Mary Hughes and Ralph Turner of Colorado and Ethel Payton of Anchorage; children Don and wife Laura Campbell, Kyla and husband Brian Campbell of Wasilla, and Bill and wife Kelly Campbell of Texas; grandchildren Jennifer Anderson, and Kyle, Dani, Emily, Sarah, Bill, and Jessica Campbell; stepchildren Alan Aitken, Laurie DeHaas, Glen, Garth, and Don Aitken; and many nieces and nephews.

At his request, there will be no services and his ashes will be spread over Matanuska (Byers) Peak in Palmer. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1057 West Fireweed Lane, Suite 204, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503.