Kenneth Joseph Mears

Mar 28, 1935 -

Jun 18, 2021

On a late Thursday night Kenneth Joseph Mears, 86, went to sleep and stayed asleep, passing away peacefully on the morning of June 18, 2021, at his favorite place in the world, his Lake Camp cabin in King Salmon, Alaska.

Kenneth is survived by his wife, Choy Mears; son, Glen Mears and longtime girlfriend Mary Ann Miller; son, Raymund Mears and wife Beth Mears; stepdaughter, Sandy Eugenio (Henke) and husband Gaylord Eugenio; stepdaughter, Carol Lahnum (Henke) and husband Aaron Lahnum; 13 grandchildren, Francesca Eugenio, Ciara Eugenio, Jaccob Lahnum, Joshua Lahnum, Logan Mears, Lily Mears, Kaylee Lahnum, Madelyn Eugenio, Gregory Mears, Gavin Mears, Katelyn Eugenio, Henry Mears and Brooklyn Lahnum; brother, Raymond Mears and wife Liza Mears; and sister-in-law, Veronica (Sis) Mears.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Florence Mears; father, Joseph Mears; brother, Russell Mears; uncle, Billy Mears; ex-wife, Carol Mears; nephew, David Mears; sister-in-law, Kate Mears; aunt, Grace Wardlow; fiancee, Carol Jones; and classmate, Cindy Fischer; and his beloved and cherished furry companion, Tangerine.

Longtime Alaska resident Lt. Colonel Kenneth Joseph Mears DDS was born on March 28, 1935, in Nutley, N.J., to Joseph and Florence Mears. He grew up in New Jersey with his younger twin brothers Russell and Raymond Mears. Ken learned to fish at a young age, and it became a passion for the rest of his life.

Kenneth graduated from Nutley High School in 1953, keeping in contact with many of his classmates and attending many class reunions over the last 70 years. Throughout the many pages signed in his high school yearbook, it was undeniably true that Kenneth Mears was known for being "one swell guy." Ken attended and graduated from Rutgers University in 1958, with a bachelor's degree in biology. He graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson in 1962, as a Doctor of Medical Dentistry. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Fort Sam Houston

for training, then was stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska. He was then assigned as a dentist in the U.S. Army Hospital at West Point from 1966-1968, then left active service.

Ken married Beverly Douglass in 1967, and went on to graduate from Fairleigh Dickinson in 1970, with a master's degree in orthodontics. Even after all his travels and studying at the university, his love for Alaska called him to make it home. He started his first practice in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1970, and continued the practice until 2000, with remote offices in Fairbanks and Homer. Shortly after moving to Alaska, Ken and Beverly had two sons, Glen and Raymund Mears. Ken and Beverly separated in 1984.

In 1987, Ken retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army reserves. Kenneth then met Choy Yegonthong in 1993, and they married in 1999, which gained him two daughters, Sandy Eugenio and Carol Lahnum. They have shared their love of Alaska and Hawaii, fishing, photography and hockey for the past two decades.

His deep connection with people and the outdoors kept him busy, which fueled his unforgettable adventures such as shooting a polar bear during the 1964 earthquake or being stranded without gas for his plane in some remote Alaska location. If he wasn't out fishing or tying flies for his next adventure, you could find him watching a hockey game. He was a diehard Aces fan and you could find Ken and Choy at almost every game.

We welcome your love, thoughts and prayers on July 1, 2021. A viewing will be held at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 825 Klevin Street in Anchorage, at 11 a.m., with a Mass to follow at 12:30 p.m. Graveside services will be held at Ft. Richardson National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. A celebration of life luau will be held at the Anchorage Aviation Museum on July 2, 2021 from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.