Ronald Norman Butler

Oct 22, 1964 -

Jun 16, 2026

Our family is heartbroken to announce that Ron peacefully passed away at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer.

Born in Moscow, Idaho, to Louanna (Flynn) Butler and the late Thomas Abraham Butler, Ron spent his childhood in Anchorage and Missoula, Mont. Following high school, Ron returned to Alaska, where he worked as a heavy equipment operator in gold and zinc mines before settling in Anchorage, where he met Laurie Hall and married in June 1995. Together they built a life raising two sons, Joshua and Jakob. Ron enjoyed a long career operating heavy equipment, including positions at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and Municipality of Anchorage Street Maintenance. He loved camping and hunting in Alaska's mountains, including a cherished hunting trip in Africa, and visiting beloved family in the Lower 48.

Ron is survived by his loving wife of 31 years, Laurie; mother, Louanna Butler; son, Joshua (Nicole) and their beloved daughter Leah; son, Jakob; and sister, Holly Anderson (Tom). He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Butler.

Those wishing to honor Ron's memory please consider donating to a local animal shelter.

A celebration of Ron's life will be held on Oct. 17, 2026, from 1-3 p.m. at King Street Brewery in Anchorage.

Joseph S. Churchill

Sep 29, 1929 -

Sep 26, 2026

Joseph "Joe" S. Churchill, 96, of Scottsdale, Ariz., passed away on Sept. 26, 2026. Born in Aberdeen, Wash., he proudly served his country as an Air Traffic Controller in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.

A long-time Alaskan, Joe was the owner and operator of Arctic Insulation in Anchorage. He lived a life full of adventure as an avid hunter, dedicated fisherman and world traveler. A striking presence who naturally drew people in, Joe was beloved by all who knew him for his warmth, gentle nature and easy charisma.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara Churchill; stepdaughters, Michele Robuck and Bonnie Graham; sons-in-law, Michael Robuck and Skip Graham; daughter-in-law, Carole Ann Churchill; grandchildren, Madeline Deluche, Taylor Golick, Markus Churchill, Gunnar Robuck, Connor Golick, Hunter Robuck, Yuri Golick, Pierce Graham, Connor Graham and Isabelle Robuck; and great-granddaughter, Juliette Deluche. He was preceded in death by his son, Mark Churchill.

No services are planned at this time. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date in Anchorage, Alaska.

Shirley Ann Igou

Feb 24, 1944 -

Aug 28, 2026

Shirley Ann Igou of Heber Springs, Ark., passed away on Aug. 28, 2026, at 2:51 a.m, surrounded by loving family.

She had lived a grand life but her body was weak and tired.

As the lunar eclipse subsided that night, so she passed peacefully into the arms of God.

She was attended by her sister, Pat; grandniece, Conicia McCloud; and great-grandnephew, LaKoda Dison.

Shirley Ann was born on Feb. 24, 1944, near Osceola, Ark. Her family moved to Indiana, settling in New Trenton, where she attended Whitewater School. They later returned to Arkansas, where Shirley graduated class 1963 of at Bald Knob High School.

After high school she moved to Memphis, Tenn. In 1964, she married Com Leonard Dunning, who had served as a submarine mechanic in WWII. In 1967, they moved to Alaska with their daughter Alida. After they divorced, Shirley remained in Alaska.

She spent eight years with Bob Naanes, proprietor of Remodeling Enterprises. They enjoyed many hobbies and adventures together: prospecting, gold panning and assaying, epee fencing, camping, guitar and more. They traveled to Southern California from 1972-1974, crossing the Alcan Highway in January both ways, long before it was paved. In California, they lived in San Diego, Costa Mesa, the shore of Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach. They enjoyed extended camping trips into the Mojave Desert, sometimes two weeks at a time. There, they spent the days riding dirt bikes and prospecting, with Shirley's daughter riding on the back of her Hodaka 125 Wombat, holding her pet chihuahua.

In 1978, she married Charles Igou, president of Hayden Electric Motors in Anchorage, Alaska.

"Chuck and Annie" enjoyed camping, fishing, travel, scuba diving and spending Novembers at their Shores of Maui condo.

During Ann's 30 years in Alaska, she wore many hats and mastered many skills. In her early days, she was a waitress at Leroy's and La Mexicana. She was an Avon Lady. She had a green thumb and started a business called "The Plant Lady," setting up and maintaining plants in offices. She learned sheet metal cutting and bending while a secretary at Ingersoll Sheetmetal. She was in charge of rebuilding injectors at Emerson GM Diesel. Shirley Ann had been very disappointed that girls were not allowed to take shop class when she was in high school. She made up for that as an adult, never afraid to break the mold of what women were "supposed" to do.

Ann loved travel and road trips, and often said she would have loved to be a truck driver.

She worked as a service attendant on the Alaska Railroad, and flew across Alaska to backhaul U-Haul trucks. She worked in the MarkAir kitchens, which gave her flight benefits.

Ann owned and operated The Gingham House, a gift shop in an original Anchorage townsite house on the corner of 6th Avenue and K Street. Each room was a little shop of its own, plus a workshop in the basement. Handmade Christmas ornaments in the foyer, antiquarian book store, antiques, Native Alaskan crafts, curios, toys and potpourri, and always free cookies and Russian tea.

Ann was also skilled at sewing, needlework, oil painting, interior decorating and an accomplished stained glass artist.

Ann returned to Arkansas in 1997 to care for her mother and father.

After Chuck passed away, Ann made a life for herself in Heber Springs, renovating and renting homes, in partnership with Bill Compton. She helped many people rent to own.

She even moved an entire three bedroom, two bathroom house with a garage, to make way for the Heber Springs Water utility, paying almost nothing for the house.

Bill and Ann spent 24 blissful years together, fishing, traveling, playing music and enjoying a merry, bountiful life until Bill's peaceful passing in 2022.

Ann was admired for her sharp wit, practical knowledge, good values and uncommon wisdom.

With a creative and brilliant mind, she was a clean-living and trustworthy person.

Gentle-natured and strong willed, she followed her intuition and imagination, and used her inventive mind to do things others might say was not possible.

She believed in thinking outside the box. One of her rules of thumb was "If you can't think of three choices, you're not thinking hard enough."

She was a fun but firm mother, expecting good character and showing loving kindness. She created a rich and empowering home life.

She was generous and caring, helping everyone around her however she was able, with trust, encouragement and especially sound advice. Wherever she lived, she always made time to visit nursing homes and look after elders and friends.

In her later days, she reminded us often to "enjoy your youth while you have it."

She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Ruth and Tennis Dison; and partner, Bill Compton.

She is survived by her brothers, Tennis David Dison and Ernest Jack Dison; sister, Carolyn Ruth "Pat" Kraus; daughter, Alida Grace Dunning; grandchildren, Mitchell Stelling and Maia West of Homer, Alaska; great-grandchildren, Mitchell and Maylee Ann; and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.

Services will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Revival Chapel, 5129 Depot Road in West Harrison, Ind., followed by the spreading of her ashes at her parent's grave at Mount Carmel Cemetery, 4160 IN-252 in Cedar Grove, Ind.

A celebration of Ann's life and potluck picnic will be held at Spring Park in Heber Springs on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, from 1-5 p.m.

Martin Edward Miller

Aug 24, 1945 -

Sep 13, 2026

Martin "Marty" Miller, age 81, passed away in Anchorage, Alaska. He was born in Butte, Mont., to Martin and Doris Miller and attended Anaconda High School where in 1963, he met his wife Lorena "Renie." They were married in Helena, Mont., in October 1967.

From 1963 to 1983, Marty proudly served in the U.S. Army where he rose to the rank of 1st Sergeant. He served in places as far-flung as Vietnam, Germany, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri, Hawaii, and Alaska. He earned a Bronze Star during his third tour of Vietnam. In 1979, he also earned The Solder's Medal from saving a drowning man who had fallen through the ice. After leaving the Army, he was a Vice-President for Special Credits with the First National Bank of Alaska from 1983-2005.

Marty served the VFW organization for over two decades, Eagle River Post 9785 Post Commander from 1989-1990; Alaska State and All American State commander from 2004-2005; National Chairman of the Western Conference from 2009-2010; and he held various State and National VFW appointments.

Marty was a talented drummer from an early age. He played drums for many artists, including George Strait, Dolly Parton and Charlie Pride. He was also an avid snowmachiner. His best days were lounging on his pontoon boat at his cabin in Big Lake and supporting the Seattle Seahawks. He also enjoyed a Coors Light on the banks of any river or lake surrounded by family and friends.

Marty leaves behind his wife, Lorena "Renie" Miller; children, Tod (Tricia) Miller, Stacie Miller, Brett Miller Sister Tina Maedche; brother-in-law, Larry Fautch; sister-in-law, Marilyn Fautch; and grandchildren, Kylee Miller, Kynsey Miller, Brielle Waldher, Bridjett Miller. Britta Joy, Morgan Ihrig and Dakota Ihrig. He is preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Doris Miller.

Marty was laid to rest during a private ceremony at the Fort Richardson National Cemetery.

James "Jimmy" VanZant

Sep 2, 1951 -

Sep 23, 2026

James "Jimmy" VanZant was born on Sept. 2, 1951, to James and Dorothy McDaniel VanZant in Richmond, Ind. At 3 years old Jimmy, his parents and his sister Sue moved to Eagle River, Alaska, where he spent his boyhood hunting, fishing, reading and playing music. After his father's unexpected passing in 1962, Jimmy spent most of his youth moving around the country with his mother and stepfather, William "Bill" Parks, going from Indiana to Kentucky to Arkansas, and back up to Alaska, where the family homesteaded in the Hatcher Pass area. Always independent and free-spirited, as a teenager Jimmy played music in bands, rode motorcycles and hitchhiked across the country, stopping on the west coast during the Summer of Love in 1969. However, he quickly settled down when he met the love of his life, Kathi Carman, in 1970. The two married in 1972, and built a rough-and-tumble cabin in the Hatcher Pass area, with Jimmy doing the logging and milling for the beams himself. As Kathi would later say, "We didn't even have a level or a square, but we got it built." Slowly over time, their cabin developed into a proper home, and they welcomed their daughter Ivory into the family in 1986.

Though he had a bit of a checkered past, Jimmy eventually started working through the State of Alaska, first at the Pioneer Home in Palmer, and later at the Plant Material Center. A lifelong reader and knowledge seeker, he enjoyed his work cultivating native plant species and traveling around the wilderness of Alaska. However, Jimmy's real passion was not his work but his hobbies. He was a true Renaissance man, whether he was tinkering and working on his many motorcycles and vintage cars, studying ancient Roman history, or carving wood to make his own guitars, ukuleles and drums. He was an avid amateur botanist, developing his own strains of plants, and also enjoyed outdoor sports of all kinds, spending much of the winters in Hatcher Pass skiing, snowboarding and snowmachining, then gold panning, fishing and hiking in the summers.

Jimmy's motto throughout his life was "love many, respect all, harm none." An avowed pacifist later in life, he would even catch and release spiders and other insects instead of harming them. With a relaxed and calm demeanor, he made friends easily, especially if they had shared interests. He was generous with his time to his friends and family, and loved nothing more than spending time with others, playing music, working on a project or just sitting around a bonfire chatting and telling jokes. Jimmy passed away peacefully on Sept. 23, 2026, in the home that he and Kathi built, surrounded by "his girls" - his wife, Kathi; daughter, Ivory; and dog, Blossom. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by his niece, Kimberly Levesque; stepnephew, Marc Levesque; nephews, Richard and David Byers and Everett Levesque. A memorial service will be held for Jimmy on Oct. 25, 2026, from 1-5 p.m., at the Fishhook Bar and Grill. Friends and family are encouraged to bring their favorite cars and guitars in his honor.

Gene Wirkus

Apr 11, 1952 -

Sep 21, 2026

Gene L. Wirkus left this world peacefully at home, with family surrounding him on Sept. 21, 2026, in Palmer, Alaska, after a two-year battle with cancer.

Gene is survived by his children, Jeromy, Jeri, Jolene and Jason; 13 grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and his wife, Debra; her daughters, Michelle and Sheila; five grandchildren; and seven great grandchildren.

Gene retired from the Anchorage School District in 2009 after 30 years. After he and Deb retired, they enjoyed travel in the Lower 48 and spending winters at their house in Arizona. Gene was a jack-of-all-trades; there was nothing he could not fix. He was a fantastic vehicle mechanic and throughout the years had a side business with many customers. Gene had a thing for anything to do with cars, enjoyed rebuilding cars and enjoyed his many classics throughout his years. He will be greatly missed by many.

A Service is not planned.