Dr. Gordon L. Pullar

Jan 22, 1944 -

Apr 18, 2022

Dr. Gordon L. Pullar, age 78, of Anchorage, Alaska, passed away on April 18, 2022, after a long illness. His loving family was by his side.

Gordon was born in 1944, in Bellingham, Wash., to Gordon R. Pullar and Olga Rossing. He attended Bellingham High School, class of '62, and Western Washington State College, now WWU, earning a B.A. in sociology and anthropology in 1973. After many years working as a machine operator at the Georgia-Pacific paper mill, Gordon embarked on a life-changing journey to connect with his Sugpiaq Alaska Native identity. He earned an MPA in tribal administration from the University of Washington in 1983, and moved to Kodiak, Alaska, at the urging of his maternal uncle Karl Armstrong Jr. In Alaska, Gordon began his involvement with tribal self-determination, artifact repatriation and cultural revitalization efforts that would extend over four decades and leave a lasting impact and legacy. He served six years as President and CEO of the Kodiak Area Native Association, completed a Ph.D. in 1997 in organizational and international studies, and worked for the University of Alaska Fairbanks for over 20 years, retiring in 2014 as an Associate Professor Emeritus of Rural Development. In all of Gordon's many accomplishments, perhaps his greatest professional fulfillment came from mentoring students, who often kept in touch with him as they embarked on their own careers.

Gordon was a loving husband, father, grandfather and brother. He is survived by his wife, Flossie; son, Greg (Janice) of Bellingham; daughter, Tracy (Craig) of Vallejo, Calif.; son, Gordon Jr. (Diana) of Anchorage; grandson, Gordon III of Anchorage; stepdaughter, Chris (Jody) and step-grandchildren Jesse and Sarah of Anchorage, Skylar and Teryn of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and brother, Robert LaPlante of Arlington, Wash.

Gordon often referred to Flossie as his "beautiful bride." They married in 2014, and their time together was very special to him. As a father, he enjoyed spending time with his three adult children and traveled with them to Mexico in 2009 and Hawaii in 2012. He was overjoyed, in 2017, when his grandson Gordy III was born and proceeded to be a doting grandfather (Aapa). Gordon loved to travel and was able to enjoy a final international trip to Iceland, France and Italy with Flossie and friends in 2019.

A celebration of life will be held at 3 p.m. on May 5, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage, 616 West 10th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501.