RONALD D. SHERBURNE

Palmer resident Ronald D. Sherburne, 49, died Sept. 18, 2002, while doing what he loved the most, caribou hunting near Paxon.

Services will be held at Kehl's Palmer Mortuary in Palmer on Monday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. A Celebration of Life ceremony will follow at the Butte fire station at 4 p.m.

Mr. Sherburne was born April 6, 1953, in Skowhegan, Maine and moved to Anchorage with his family in 1965.

He worked for United Parcel Service for 13 years before starting his own business in 2001. He was an avid outdoorsman, staunch advocate of the National Rifle Association, a Teamster member for more than 25 years, and proud member of the Alaska Outdoor Council, which embodied his love for Alaska.

His family said, "He will be remembered as a loving man, with an endless sense of humor and spark. He was the type of person that brightened even the darkest day with his plentiful smile and sparkling eyes. He will be missed dearly by those who saw him as their guiding light."

Mr. Sherburne is survived by his wife Marilyn of Palmer; daughter and son-in-law Jessica and Sean McMenomy; son Joshua; mother Norma; sister, Debbie Rayburn and partner Larry Earles; brother, Brian Sr. and wife Kathryn; sister, Loma and husband Richard Reece; brother Nathan and wife, Shiela; nieces, Brandilyn, Trista, Lesley, Loreal, Chelsey, Sarah, Taleah, Grace, Desire, April, Brianne, Aurora, Sabrina, Katrina, Shana and Haley; nephews, Brian Jr., Caleb, Thayne, Jacob, Andrew, Michael and Tyler; and many, many friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, former Alaskan Leslie Sherburne.

Arrangements were made by Kehl's Palmer Mortuary.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Wells Fargo Bank to the account of Joshua D. Sherburne for vocational education.