Tom Logan

Big Lake resident Tom Logan, 78, died Feb. 8, 2010, with many family and friends by his bedside at the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer.

A celebration of Tom’s life will be held at 4 p.m. Monday at the Elks Lodge, 2600 N. Barrys Resort Drive in Wasilla.

Tom was the oldest of four boys. He was born Aug. 18, 1931. His brothers all live in the Big Lake area and are John, Vernon and Darryl.

He retired from the Air Force in 1972. He served during the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 1972, he moved to Alaska and with his family lived in Cold Bay, Kodiak, Anchorage and Wasilla. While in Kodiak he served as a borough assemblyman. Tom retired from the FAA and finished his career working for Reeve Aleutian Airways. He was active with the Elks in Kodiak and Wasilla and in the Big Lake Chamber of Commerce and precinct chairman of the Republican Party.

“Tom was an enthusiastic sportsman — always looking forward to his moose hunt on the Denali Highway with his kids,” his family wrote. “Tom was always a genius with tools. There were very few things Tom couldn’t do, but people should have thought twice before getting in a canoe with him. He excelled at car or airplane maintenance work, but was equally comfortable with electronics, computers and woodwork.”

Tom is survived by his wife of 55 years, Grace Logan; and three children, Patrick, Patricia and Susan — Pat and Tracy and their sons, Ben and Matt, all of Anchorage; Patty and Don Clausen and daughter, Leah and Dennis Addington of Wasilla; Sean and Elizabeth Clausen and their son, Kevin of Ventura County, Calif.; and Susan and Doug Miller of Kona, Hawaii and sons, Jon of Kenai and Dan of Everett, Wash.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tom’s memory to the Elks Lodge for the Kids program, 2600 N. Barrys Resort Dr., Wasilla, AK 99654.

Arrangements were by Valley Funeral Home and Crematory in Wasilla.