Gordon Frank Kalk

Gordon Frank Kalk, 88, passed away on Sunday, April 1, 2012 in Juneau, Alaska surrounded by his family. Funeral Service will be conducted on Friday, April 6, 2012 in the First Lutheran Church, with Pastor Dave Olson officiating. Interment will take place in Pinecrest Memorial Park. Gordon was born April 29th 1923 in Sandpoint Idaho first child to Mary and Albert Kalk. He had three siblings Billy and Helen who died in childhood and Margaret Phillips who survives him. He grew up during the depression helping his father run a fox farm in Sandpoint. After graduating from Sandpoint High School in 1941 he served in WWII fighting in the Battle of Leyte at the beginning of the operations to liberate the Philippines. He returned to Idaho where he went to the University of Idaho on the GI bill majoring in Forestry Shortly after returning from the war he met and married Henrietta L Stockman on January 14th 1946. Henrietta died 4 November 2001. His love of the outdoors led him to his career in forestry, working his way through school as a lookout, then as a private forester cutting trap trees and power line right of ways in North Idaho. In 1961 he began a career with the US Forest Service first working in Naches Washington, and then moving to Alaska with the Forest Service in 1963. Gordon became an expert and passionate forest fire fighter beginning in his boyhood days on the lookouts in North Idaho. Gordon fought forest fires in Idaho, Alaska, Washington, Utah and Arizona. After retiring from the Forest Service Gordon and his wife opened Helen’s Flower and Gift Shop in Ketchikan, Alaska named after their daughter Helen. Gordon loved hiking, camping, fishing and hunting with his wife and children, and traveling extensively with his wife Henrietta from Africa to the Arctic. They have five children: Anita Monoian, Douglas Kalk (who predeceased him) Donald Kalk, Penny Kalk, and Helen Kalk. Thirteen Granchildren: John, Barb, and Beth Monoian; Tony, Andy, Brianna, Colin, Jade, Valanna, Jimmy, and Brian Kalk, Marya McCormack and Sara Harris. Two great grandchildren: Chandler and Randi Pogue. Four Nephews and Nieces: John, Bill, Mike and Mary Margaret Phillips.