Richard James “Dick” Best

Longtime Alaskan Richard James “Dick” Best, 84, died Jan. 30, 2013 at his home in Wasilla.

Richard was born in Missoula, Mont., Sept. 29, 1928, to Jasper and Lois Best. He left home at an early age working multiple odd jobs along the West Coast. He served in both the U.S. Navy and Army.

He was married to Dorothea Emilie Geiger on Dec. 13, 1959. Dick and Thea lived in Montana, where he worked as a logger. They moved to Alaska in 1963 where he worked as a Fuller brush salesman and then as an electrician. Dick was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dick was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing, berry picking and gardening. He could often be found reloading ammunition and talking about guns. He was extremely social and talked with people wherever he went.

Family members remember him being disappointed when he and Thea received their own postal box, as it meant that he could no longer go down to the local post office to talk to people. He had an amazing sense of humor, always a story to tell and often a picture to accompany it.

Surviving are his wife, Dorothea; son and daughter-in-law, Danny Ray and Connie Best; daughter, Kathy Majors; daughter and son-in-law, Ingrid and Sepp Katzenleuchter; daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Pat Marley; and daughter and son-in-law, Heidi and Dave Crawford; siblings, Hugh and Mike; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his siblings, Norman and Mary Jane; and his oldest son, Richard James “Jimmy” Jr.

“The man with seemingly infinite stories, laughs and photographs, Dick will be missed by all who knew him,” his family wrote.

Services are at 2 p.m., Feb. 8 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center, 821 Dellwood St., Wasilla.

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