Joseph VanTreeck
Nov 28, 1953 -
May 21, 2026
Joseph Wesley VanTreeck, age 72, of Anchorage, Alaska, passed away on May 21, 2026. He had a short, but aggressive illness called "diffuse B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma" lasting only 23 days from diagnosis.
Born on Nov. 28, 1953, in Waukegan, Ill., Joe lived a life marked by kindness, loyalty, faith, tenacity and integrity. He was well-known for his career achievements.
After completing his degree in dairy science/manufacturing at SDSU in 1980, he went on to hold the position of Plant Superintendent at Milnot Corp in Seneca, Mo., producing canned milk, butter and milk.
Joe was hired by Matanuska Maid Dairy in 1985 to revive a bankrupt corp. As CEO he was responsible for several cutting-edge things, such as being the first dairy in the country to bottle milk, water and juice in PET plastic bottles and the second dairy in the country to produce yogurt with artificial sweeteners. Many Alaskans will remember the wonderful cottage cheese, chocolate milk and Joe's own recipe for the wildly popular eggnog at Christmas time. He was the longest tenured Senior executive in the history of the company at 25 years.
While working for Mat Maid, Joe went on to achieve his master's degree in logistics and supply chain management in 2002.
Following the closing of Mat Maid, Joe served as General Manager for Alaska Supply Chain International. The company provided third party supply chain, logistics and procurement to asset intensive industries.
Joe's final career move was as CEO of Alaska Glacier Products LLC. It is Alaska's #1 small-package bottler of Alaska glacier-sourced water from the Eklutna Glacier.
Joe also owned JVT Consulting, a management consultancy providing organizational development, strategic planning, budget creation, procurement, supply chain and logistics solutions.
An interesting and fun fact about Joe is that while a student at SDSU, he made a historic contribution as one of two student inventors of the legendary "Cookies and Creme" ice cream. The other student was Joe Leedom.
Another honor was being asked to be a board member for Milk Pep, the national organization that brought the "Got Milk" campaign to the U.S.
During his time in Alaska, it was Joe's pleasure to serve as Director of the Alaska Food Bank, President of ARCA, board member of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Alaska Manufacturing Assoc. Others included being a member of The Center for Employment Education, Junior Achievement and the AK Farmers and Stockgrowers.
One of his very favorite places was Kona, Hawaii. He, Mary and kids traveled there frequently. He also made sure to take Mary to Egypt - her all time dream trip. Other travels included China, Mexico, the Mediterranean, and most of the Caribbean Islands on 16 different cruises.
Joe saw Mary through 13 1/2 years of ovarian cancer care ending on April 20, 2026, when she received a report of "no evidence of disease." Nine days later, Joe was diagnosed with lymphoma.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, of 53 years; and his pride and joy, two children: son, Jonathan (Amanda) VanTreeck and daughter, Christen (Leon) VanTreeck-Dwiggins. His siblings include Rick (Annalie) VanTreeck, Tom (Dee) VanTreeck and Pam (Mike) Magnuson.
Joe will be laid to rest in the Mountainview Cemetery in historic Keystone, S.D. later in 2026. The cemetery lies in the valley under the shadow of Mt. Rushmore.
A social hour at 2 p.m., and church service at 3 p.m., will be held on June 22, 2026, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 8427 Jewel Lake Road in Anchorage. The family asks that any donations be made to the Lymphoma Research Foundation, if desired.
We are blessed to have had Joe in our lives. Joe VanTreeck: an honorable man.
