John W. Sipary

Aug 22, 1935 -

Feb 20, 2023

John W. Sipary, 87, died of natural causes after a brief illness on Feb. 20, 2023, at home with his son and granddaughter by his side. He was born on Aug. 22, 1935, on Nelson Island, Alaska, where his parents, Ivan and Maggie Sipary were catechists. He was the ninth of 14 children.

John attended the Holy Cross Mission starting at age 9, and also attended Skagway's Pius X Mission School. He finished his high school education in the Marine Corp. After the St. Mary's Mission school opened in 1957, his parents relocated, and John made St. Mary's, Alaska, his home for a good portion of his adult life. John married Cecelia Johnson from Emmonak, Alaska, on Nov. 23, 1963. He was an air traffic controller at Nome, Kotzebue and McGrath, Alaska, worked on the pipeline as a radio operator, as well as various positions for Native corporations and as a subsistence and commercial fisherman.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, George, David, Anthony, Simeon and Walter Sipary; sisters, Roseanne Westdahl, Theresa Bellinger, Marie, Anna, Rachael and Elizabeth Sipary; wife, Cecelia; and daughter, Libby Wolff. He is survived by sister, Martina Heckman of Pilot Station, Alaska, and Pius Sipary of St. Mary's; as well as children, Gary Sipary, Beverly Sims, Candy Sipary and Ann Johnson; 17 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

A service of remembrance will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at Legacy Funeral Homes, 440 East Klatt Road in Anchorage, Alaska, with a potluck gathering shortly thereafter to be determined. A full-service military burial will be held for immediate family members the following Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.