William F. (Frank) Dewey

William F. (Frank) Dewey, 82, passed away peacefully at his home in Wasilla on Nov. 29, 2014, in the presence of his wife and family.

Frank was born in Buffalo, Oklahoma, on April 17, 1932, to William F. Pearl and (Harper) Dewey. The family moved from Oklahoma to Sedro Wooley, Washington, when he was a small child because of the drought conditions all through the Dust Bowl area. He attended Sedro Wooley schools, graduating in 1950. He quickly enrolled in telegraph school and after graduation worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as a telegrapher.

With the outbreak of the Korean War, Frank joined the Army Signal Corp. and was assigned to the Alaska Communication System (ACS). He was deployed to Alaska and served in Fairbanks and Valdez. After 12 years of military service, he continued to work for ACS as a civilian telegraph and data technician. He retired from ACS after 25 years and began a long career with the Anchorage Telephone Utility, retiring fully in the early 1990s.

Frank met Colleen, his life’s love, in Fairbanks. They married in 1960 and lived happily together for more than 50 years, rearing a wonderful family of two daughters — Sabra (Mark) Phillips of Fairbanks, Billi (Howard) Speer of Wasilla — and Colonel Wade F. (Selena) Dewey of Marcy, New York.

Frank was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church. He attended Christ First Methodist Church in Wasilla where he was one of the first to arrive, making sure the coffee was ready for other early arrivals. He volunteered to help in other small, quiet ways.

Surviving are his loving wife and children; four grand daughters; two grandsons; and eight great-grandchildren. To honor his wishes, there will be no memorial service and his ashes will be scattered at a future date.

The family would like to thank the Hospice caregivers and the many doctors who cared for him during his long struggle with cancer. They would especially like to thank Dr. Craft and Chris for many years of devoted care.

The family was cared for by Heritage Wasilla Chapel.