Sgt. Shane Louis Guszregan

Army National Guard Sgt. Shane Louis Guszregan, 30, died Jan. 17, 2012, at his home in Anchorage.

Memorial services begin at 2 p.m., Jan. 23, at Fort Richardson Chapel on Fort Richardson Army Base. Chaplain McGovern will officiate. Those attending should meet at the Fort Richardson Gate at 12:30 p.m. for the funeral procession.

Shane was born Feb. 18, 1981, in Spokane, Wash. Shane lived in Spokane as a young child and later moved to Palmer. He attended Palmer High School and Alaska Military Youth Corps Academy. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army in September 1998.

Shane completed basic and advanced individual training as a petroleum supply specialist before joining the Alaska Army National Guard in September 2002. Shane was deployed to Kuwait with C CO 3rd BN in 2006 to 2007. He was then deployed to Kosovo with 1-207th AVN REGT from November 2008 to November 2009. His last tour was with B CO 1-207th AVN REGT/OIF 2010-11 (Operation Iraqi Freedom).

"Shane Guszregan was our son, our brother, our uncle, our nephew, our friend, our light and our love," his family wrote. "Shane was a fine soldier, a man who defended freedom and knew the cost of defending that freedom. If you were looking for a heart as big as the universe, a smile to light up a room, then Shane was your man. He loved life, loved his family, friends and cherished the most precious things this world had to offer. Shane was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hiking, shooting guns, boating, snowboarding and enjoying time with family and friends. He was a kind and generous man. Anyone who had ever met him can tell you just how great a person he was; his laugh, his smile and his goofy personality. He would give you the shirt off his back if he knew it would help you. He will be deeply missed by many and that goes to show how much he was loved."

Preceding him in death were his grandparents, Earl and Margaret Joyce Guszregan and Ardis Marr.

Surviving are his father, Sylvester Guszregan and his wife Angela of Palmer; mother, Judith Gusky and her husband Paul of Spokane, Wash.; sisters, Kandy Fleurisma and her husband Gregory of Glen Oaks, N.Y., Meghan Guszregan of Spokane, Wash., Elizabeth Guszregan of Anchorage, Brittni Harriss of Spokane, Wash., Michelle Chambers of Asheville, N.C., and Brittania Zimmerman of Palmer; and brothers, Adam and Ian Zimmerman of Palmer. Shane also was a loving uncle to Paayton Grace Fleurisma, Noelle Grace Wright and Miah Star Chambers.

Memorial contributions may be made in Shane's memory to the ReMIND.org, a public awareness movement of the Bob Woodruff Foundation that provides resources and support to injured service members, veterans and their families.

Valley Funeral Home and Crematory cared for the family.