Stephen Jay Aldrich

Long time Ketchikan resident Stephen Jay Aldrich Sr., 70, passed away at home of Agent orange exposure related cancer. He will be buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery.

Stephen was born May 1, 1946, in Cairo Illinois. He was drafted into the United States Marine Corps in the fall of 1966. He met his loving wife Hazel Lucille Avent in June 1967, and they married in December of the same year. He was deployed to Vietnam in September of 1968. He joined the United States Coast Guard in February 1974 and was stationed at base Ketchikan in May 1976. Throughout his career he maintained Loran stations all over the Aleutians, Shoal Cove in Ketchikan, Narrow Cape in Kodiak, and Iwo Jima Japan.

Retiring in 1991, he went on to start Deer Mtn. Charters “fishing not always catching.” He obtained an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration and Associate of Arts degree from the University of Alaska Southeast. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, woodworking and furniture building. He enjoyed and loved his family to the end fighting the good fight.

He was preceded in death by his father, Glenn Wilbert Aldrich; his mother Winniefred Bradshaw Aldrich; and brother Gary Dean Aldrich.

He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Hazel Avent Aldrich; sons and daughters in law Stephen Jr., Aldrich Jr., and Sandra Sunshine Aldrich, Gregory Wayne Aldrich and Rachael E. Blakey; grandchildren Joshua Glenn Aldrich, Masey Lee Aldrich, Brody Calvin Aldrich, Alaina M. Kincade and Aiden M. Kincade; and sister Myrna Fabre of Perryville, Missouri.