Shan J. Satterfield

U.S. Army CWO3 Shan J. Satterfield, 32, died Dec. 12, 2011, as the result of a helicopter accident in the line of duty. He was born May 18,1979, in Anchorage to Gary and Cynthia Satterfield.

Graveside services with full military honors for Shan are at 1 p.m., June 23, at Fort Richardson National Cemetery in Anchorage. Everyone attending the services is asked to meet at the Fort Richardson main gate at 12:45 p.m.

A reception will follow the services for family and friends at Otter Lake Lodge located on the JBER base.

Shan lived most of his life in Alaska, graduating from Dimond High in 1997, before joining the U.S. Army in September 1997. He served in such places as Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kentucky and Washington, D.C., during 9/11. He was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state at the time of his death.

Shan received numerous awards while he was a SWAT sniper and then as a helicopter aviator. He loved to fly and enjoyed spending time with his family, especially playing with Kinsley and Owen as often as his job allowed. Shan also enjoyed playing keyboard and bass guitar when he wasn’t rocking out to Rockband with family. Shan had almost received his bachelor’s degree and was considering continuing on for his master’s.

Shan will be remembered by his family as someone who had an awesome sense of humor and for his warm hugs and smiles. He was an instructor pilot, a wonderful teacher, a mentor and respected by his many colleagues. Shan liked the quote: “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him,” which defined his choice of career nicely. He will be loved and missed always.

Surviving are his wife, Sassa Satterfield, and their children, Kinsley and Owen of Alaska (though currently in Washington as Shan was stationed there); parents, Gary and Cynthia Satterfield of Alaska; brother Scott Satterfield and his wife Patricia of Alaska; nephew and niece, Shae and McKenna Satterfield of Alaska; grandmothers, Lanell Schmidt of Mississippi; father- and mother-in-law, Lee and Sharon Seagondollar of Alaska; brother and sister-in-law Mitchell and Shannon Seagondollar of Oregon; niece and nephew, Jenna and Evan Seagondollar of Oregon; and many uncles, aunts, cousins, family members and friends.

Shan’s grandmother Joann Satterfield died after Shan in January 2012.

Donations may be made in his memory for a memorial statue to be erected at JBLM honoring Shan, as well as his three fellow aviators who died in the same accident: Four Fallen c/o America’s Credit Union P.O. Box 33338 JBLM, WA 98433 account No. 695824 routing No. 325180634.

Arrangements entrusted to Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory Wasilla.