THOMAS E. ESTABROOK

Thomas Edward Estabrook, 73, died June 8, 2004, at Valley Hospital in Palmer, due to respiratory failure.

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at Wasilla Christian Church at Mile 2.3 Knik Goose-Bay Road, at 3 p.m. Saturday. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Mr. Estabrook was born on the USS Idaho off the shore of San Pedro, Calif., on January 22, 1931, and grew up in southern California.

He served in the Navy and toured the Pacific. He drove heavy equipment at Yellowstone National Park for two years.

He drove the Alcan to Alaska in 1951. He worked for the Territory of Alaska on road construction from Soldotna to Homer and also on Kodiak until 1964. He worked at Cold Bay as station manager of Reeve Aleutian Airways until 1974. While living in Anchorage, he worked at Sears in the automotive department and took up sky-diving, making almost 200 jumps.

He moved to Wasilla around 1976 and helped build Wasilla Christian Church. Mr. Estabrook loved working with wood and crafted most of the wooden cabinets and trim throughout the building. He loved fishing and caught a 120-pound halibut two years ago. He enjoyed metal detecting and generally had a canine companion, many of whom were black labs, though his last one was a white Westie terrier named Sparky.

His family wrote, "Tom went to be with his Lord June 8, 2004. He was loved deeply by the many, many people he ministered to! He always had a smile, a kind, encouraging word, and usually a stick of gum for everyone in the community. He was generous with anything he had and provided a home for many men throughout the years. One of his goals in life was to 'help people.' Most of all, he loved the Lord and wanted others to come to know and love Him too! His favorite verse was John 3:16, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' One of his favorite sayings was, 'I work for a Jewish Carpenter.'"

Mr Estabrook is survived by his twin sisters, Linda Mecum of Visalia, Calif., and Dorothy Goodhew of Waynesboro, Ga.; his brother, Richard Estabrook, of Keaau, Hawaii; cousin, Cheri Toppa, of Soldotna, aunt, Vivian Daily, of Calif.; and his step-mom, Margaret Estabrook, of California. He was preceded in death by his father, James Alford Estabrook, and his mother, Grace Willis Estabrook.

In lieu of flowers, the family is setting up a "Thomas Estabrook Memorial Fund" at Wasilla Christian Church, P.O. Box 870221, Wasilla, AK 99687. Proceeds from this fund will be used to continue helping people as he did. Checks should be made out to Wasilla Christian Church with a note in the memo.

Arrangements were made by Valley Funeral Home & Crematory in Wasilla.