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Sheila Brena
December 1924 – April 2010
Pioneer Alaskan Sheila Brena, 85, passed peacefully early Saturday morning, April 10, 2010, at her home in Anchorage while surrounded by family and friends.
Sheila was born in Los Angeles, California on December 24, 1924, and was raised in Peace River, Alberta, Canada. Her mother, Olive (Lay) Simmons, was a life-long school teacher in Alberta. Her father, Lester Simmons, was a stone mason and a craftsman. She had three brothers and one sister: Robert (Bob) Simmons, Harold (Hal) Simmons, Barbara (Simmons) Blakely, and Errol R. Simmons. Sheila was predeceased by her parents and her brothers and sister.
After graduating from college in Alberta, Sheila taught school in a one-room school house in Alberta before moving to Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Canada, where she met her husband, Camillo “McGee” Brena. McGee was an Italian-American, recently honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, who helped with the Army’s efforts to build the Alaska-Canada Highway. McGee had opened and was operating a barber shop and beauty salon in the Whitehorse Inn, and Sheila was one of his clients.
In the late 1940's, Sheila and McGee moved to Skagway, Alaska, where McGee worked as a barber, cab driver, and bartender for the Pack Train Saloon – a historic saloon with a legacy dating back to the first few days of the gold stampede in 1897. In 1950, Sheila and McGee purchased the Pack Train Saloon and operated it as the oldest operating saloon in Alaska until a few years after McGee passed in 1968. During that time, Sheila became the first female member of the Alaska Bartenders Union. The current Pack Train Saloon was among the first major restorations of historic properties in Skagway. After studying Culinary Arts at Orange Coast College in California, Sheila opened and operated a restaurant in the building until she retired. She had quite a following for her homemade soups and bread pudding.
Sheila is survived by and was a caring and devoted mother to David L. Brena of Skagway, Robin O. Brena (wife Barbara) of Anchorage, and Maureen C. Brena of Eagle River. She was also a loving grandmother and great-grandmother (Nonee) to her grandchildren Davonne (husband Robert), Jeanette (husband Dave), Seth, Dara, and John-Pat, and her great-grandson Nicholas.
Sheila was a kind-hearted, well-educated, generous, and strong-willed woman, with a passion for her family, education, cooking, flowers, trees, poetry, birds, and environmental causes. She was happiest when she was cooking for a family gathering, teaching her grandchildren, tending her flowers, or reciting poetry from memory. She was a truly remarkable woman who will be missed by many.
Donations to the Audubon Society, P.O. Box 101161, Anchorage, AK 99510 in Sheila’s name in lieu of flowers would be appreciated. Condolences may be sent to the Brena family at 1711 South Salem Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-5154.
Wally Enzi
August 1923 – April 2010
Former Skagway resident Edmund “Wally” Robert Enzi, born August 9, 1923 in New Leipzig, North Dakota, passed away April 11, 2010.
Ed graduated from New Leipzig High School and served his country during World War II in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He married Irmgard Pomsel, who preceded him in death in 1999.
They lived in Skagway from 1959 to 1964. Enzi worked for the old Alaska Communication System in the old RCA/Alascom building. There is an old telephone in the museum that the family donated. He was an avid fisherman who spent weekends fishing in Long Bay and Dyea.
He is survived by his children: Robert (Gayla), Rose, Edmund (Anita), and Susan; grandchildren Richard (Andrea), Rachel, Pascha, Jessica, and Eddie and two great-grandchildren Bryan and Connor. He was preceded in death by his grandchild, Lorelei.
At his request, there will be no funeral.
Charlie Burnham
December 1928 – October 2010
Charles Lester “Charlie” Burnham, 81, died quietly at his home in Skagway on October 12, 2010, surrounded by his family. Charlie was born December 26, 1928, in Plains, Montana to John and Dicie Mae Burnham. He worked summers with his dad in mines around that area. He graduated from Plains High School in 1947, and went to work in a sawmill.
He came to Skagway with his brother John in February of ‘48 to visit their sister Dorothy. He happened to find a job that was easier than working at the sawmill. After about six months he went back to Montana and married his high school sweetheart, Joyce Knapp, on September 11, 1948.
They helped out at the mine for a month, before returning to Skagway, October 14th, where he fathered three sons, a daughter, then three more sons. He’s probably best known for his humor, quick wit, and ability to tell a story. The old folks say, “Charlie was also very entertaining with his fire eating abilities.”
Charlie went to work for Standard Oil for a number of years. Then he went into the bar business for a few years, the Igloo and the Pack Train. After that he went to work at the Tank Farm, and worked there until he retired in 1994. In his spare time he did a lot of extra work, like painting houses, fences, and pretty much remodeling the “Big ol’ House.” He was also the first one to call if you needed help with just about anything.
When Charlie was younger he liked hunting, fishing, exploring, hiking, etc. After retirement, he really enjoyed going to Portage to fish, pick blueberries, or just going for a boat ride.
Charlie was a quiet man, quite knowledgeable about most things, and when he did speak, most people listened. He always had a twinkle in his eye and usually a smile on his face. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed.
Charlie was preceded in death by his parents; his brother Evan; and his two sons: Charles Jr. “Chuck” and Dan. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joyce; his daughter Julie; his four sons: Steve; Albert and his wife Elizabeth; Ken; Jay and his wife Willeke, all living in Skagway; his sister Dorothy Johnson and brother Ed, both of Plains, Montana; Brother John and his wife Delores of Tok, Alaska; 20 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Charlie chose not to have a church service. In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation to the Skagway Fire Department or Apollo MT.
There will be a Celebration of Life at the Elks on Saturday, November 6, at 3:00 pm. Everyone is welcome.
Sandra Knapp
November 1939 – September 2010
Sandra Kay Knapp, age 70, a resident of Elma, Washington since 2000, died on September 30, 2010, at her home.
Mrs. Knapp was born on November 24, 1939, in Juneau, Alaska to Samuel Alexander and Ruth Belva (Brundige) Nelson. She was raised in Skagway.
While her husband Dick was serving in the US Military, the couple lived in numerous locations including Japan, California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii. After his discharge in 1988, they settled in the Auburn/Kent area. There, Sandra worked for SeaFirst National Bank, now Bank of America. In 2000, they retired to Elma.
Surviving relatives include her husband Dick of the family home in Elma; a daughter and her husband Dondi Sue and Ron Jocheim of Greeley, Colorado; two sisters and their husbands, Sheila and Tom Mason of Skagway and Darlene and Carl Hoover of Skagway; and an uncle and his wife, Bob Brundige and Rita Lillyberg of Arizona City, Arizona. One sister, Bonnye Boynton died previously.
Sandra loved crafts of most any kind and enjoyed working on her computer and her many computer friends.
A celebration of life gathering will be held in Skagway at a later date.
Cremation arrangements were by the Coleman Mortuary in Hoquiam.
Frank Wiggins
April 1927– October 2010
Former Skagway resident Frank Wiggins died in England on Oct. 16, 2010, after being hospitalized with pneumonia. He was 83.
Wiggins was a long-time marine superintendent for Holland America-Westours. After working on larger vessels in the fleet, he was assigned in 1978 to building the M.V. Fairweather, a day boat that would operate successfully for several years shuttling Westours passengers between Skagway and Juneau. He eventually retired after more than 35 years with the company, and then divided his time between Florida and his native England.
Frank and Pat were married 31 years. Wiggins was well respected in the marine field, and made many friends.
One of his first employees, Missy Meister, who now lives in Minnesota, visited Wiggins often in Florida.
“There was not a man more positive and optimistic than Frank Wiggins, ” Meister said. “He remains with all of us in many ways especially guiding us to become better individuals. He touched people’s lives in a positive way. He was a gift to all who knew him.
“He was just so much for the people…. What boss do you go hang with all these years?”
Another former employee, Karla Nore of Washington, said: “He was a great man who touched the hearts and shaped the lives of all who worked with Frank. He was such a good friend to so many of us. He used to say that ‘Friends are the family that you get to pick.’”
She added that he worked hard and asked a lot from his employees, who “would do almost anything he asked.” This included staying an extra week to help out when he was short-staffed.
“How do you say no to someone who would do anything for you?” she concluded. “There are many of us who would agree that Frank was the best boss and friend we’ve ever had.”
Wiggins enjoyed his last visit to Skagway and seeing old friends in 2007.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son Jamie and daughter Frances, both of Vancouver, BC, and five grandchildren.
A service was held in England on Oct. 26, and another is being planned in Seattle next spring.
Condolences may be sent to Pat Wiggins, Stoke Lodge, 31 Chyngton Road, Seaford, East Sussex, England BN25 4HN.
Tom Tunley
May 1932– June 2010
Former Skagway resident Arthur Tom Tunley, 78, died peacefully June 13, 2010, at home in Anchorage. A Mass celebration officiated by the Rev. Fred Bugarin was held at St. Anthony's Catholic Church the following Friday. Pallbearers were Thomas Tunley, Charles Tunley, John Tunley, Zan Walsh, Marshall Walsh and Lantz Milam. A reception in his honor followed at 3946 Geneva Place. Tom was born May 15, 1932, to Arthur and Celestia Tunley in Skagway. He grew up in Skagway and graduated in 1950 with a class of nine students. He continued his education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Stanford University. In 1956, he met Renee Regat while stationed in Poitiers, France. Together they traveled the world with their six children, always calling Alaska their home. He served in the U.S. Army and taught in Cordova, Poitiers and the Anchorage School District. He also taught at the University of Alaska Anchorage as an adjunct geology professor, published a book on Alaska geology and geography, and explored Alaska during the summers as a geologist. He was a strong advocate for responsible mineral exploration. He worked with the State of Alaska to develop the Alaska Mineral and Energy Resource Education Fund, encouraging youths to pursue science in Alaska. Tom was a passionate advocate in the Catholic Church, promoting the Deacon program, youth involvement, and supporting the pope's 1984 Alaska visit. His family wrote: "He lived a full life celebrating the many blessings of his family every day. He was able to blend his teaching with his love for the great outdoors as a geologist, prospecting throughout Alaska. Long-time friend Charles Ask also shared these memories: “One of the legacies that Tom Tunley's six kids have, is that their dad took each one of them separately up over the Chilkoot, when in his estimation they had reached the right age to make the ascent, pretty much as you've done with Danny, ” he wrote to the News editor. “I'm going to miss Tom a lot. He and I were the best of childhood friends from age 5 to 12, whereupon I left Skagway. And of course there have many get-togethers over the years since, with him and with our families.” Due to his health, Tom was unable to return to Skagway for the class’s 60th reunion dinner which was photographed in the News earlier this summer. Tom is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Renee; his children, Thomas Tunley and Debbie Price; Charles Tunley; Chantal and Tom Walsh; Evelyne and Kevin Daymude; John Tunley and Aline and Bart Milam; and his grandchildren, Charlotte Tunley; Sophie, Zan and Marshall Walsh; Sebastian and Julian Tunley; and HunterRenee and Lantz Milam. He is also survived by his brother, Charles and Carol Tunley and family (Michael, David and Laura Tunley); Jean Jacques and Mary Regat; many relatives and close friends.
Gene Zimbrich
November 1948 – March 2010
Gene Zimbrich, a sheet-metal fabricator and mechanical contractor with businesses in Haines and Skagway, died early Monday, March 22, 2010 at his home near 2 Mile Haines Highway. He was 61.
Wife Emily Zimbrich said the cause of her husband’s death was undetermined, but that he had suffered from heart problems and sleep apnea. “He went to bed and didn’t wake up. He just stopped breathing.”
Born in Madison, Wis. on Nov. 18, 1948, Eugene Thaddeus Zimbrich was the third of five children born to Bernard Franklin Zimbrich, a farmer and foundry worker, and wife Helen Marie Klubertanz.
Gene grew up doing chores on the family farm in nearby Sun Prairie, attended Catholic grade school and graduated from Sun Prairie High School in 1966. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 and spent most of his service at Subic Bay, Philippines, learning to work aircraft sheet metal and fixing U.S. bombers flying sorties over Vietnam.
Completing military duty, he returned to Wisconsin in 1969 and lived in Green Bay before coming to Alaska in the early 1970s to join his brother, a lineman for the Alaska Railroad then living in Wasilla.
“He was tired of bartending and he couldn’t get into the union down there, ” Emily said. She met him through a friend in January 1974, at an airline party in Big Lake when she was working for Western Airlines.
“He told me he was a plumber who had two snowmachines and houses in Wasilla and Anchorage. Well, the snowmachines belonged to his brother, and so did the house in Wasilla. He was a sheet metal apprentice making $9 an hour, living in an apartment in Anchorage, ” she said.
They married in April. “I told him I wouldn’t marry him if he wasn’t a Christian. He said, ‘What do I do?’ He gave his heart to the Lord and didn’t look back.”
As a journeyman sheetmetal worker, Zimbrich fabricated and installed ductwork in Anchorage buildings including University Center mall, Sheraton Hotel and the Alaska Native Medical Center. He eventually secured state licenses as a mechanical administrator and contractor.
In 1980, the couple moved to Haines, next door to Emily’s mother, Hazel Englund. “We wanted our kids to know one set of grandparents and have a small school to go to.”
Zimbrich worked jobs in Haines and around the state before taking over the Skagway Inn in 1989. He and Emily restored the place and sold it two years later. “By then, people in Skagway were in love with Gene and his work. Ninety percent of his work started being in Skagway.”
Besides construction and furnace work, Zimbrich kept busy winterizing commercial and residential buildings there each fall and opening them back up in the spring. “Gene was never going to retire. He may have changed what he was doing, but he was never going to retire, ” Emily said.
Zimbrich’s hobbies were hunting, fishing, camping and riding four-wheelers. “He loved hunting. That’s what he planned for all year. He was so excited when he turned 60 and got his free hunting and fishing licences, ” Emily said.
Roy Lawrence, a career ironworker, was a good friend and fishing buddy of Zimbrich’s. He said said Zimbrich came to his aid when he was broke, after his first wife died of cancer, by getting him work at journeyman union wages. “He helped me in so many ways, it was unimaginable. If you want a friend, that’s the kind to have.”
Electrician Sonny Myers worked with Zimbrich on various jobs and described him as a quiet tradesman who came through for others. “He was one of a kind. For 30 years he kept all the burners going around here. It’ll take a while, but he’ll be missed.”
When Myers’ family had to rush out of town on medical emergency, Emily and Gene came over and took care of his house, including butchering the chickens and shampooing the carpet. “He was a super guy. I was glad to be one of his friends.”
Zimbrich is survived by his wife Emily, daughters Valerie of Haines/Skagway and Cari (and Kolin) O’Daniel of Fairbanks; brother Tim Zimbrich of Wasilla, sisters Peggy (and Jerry) Kirby of Brookfield, Wis., Geralyn (and Dave) Marcum of McFarland, Wis. and Eileen (and Mike) Schey of Rio, Wis.; and by grandchildren Kyrstin and Connor O’Daniel of Fairbanks, and nieces and nephews.
Zimbrich was preceded in death by parents Bernard and Helen Zimbrich, father-in-law Niles Englund and two sisters who died as infants.
A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. March 25 at the Haines Presbyterian Church, with a reception that followed at the American Legion Hall. Burial was at Jones Point Cemetery.
A Skagway service was held on Monday, March 29 at 2 p.m. at the Skagway Traditional Council community hall.
Robin S. Lingle
1948-2007
Surrounded by her loving family, Skagway’s Robin Sue Lingle died Jan. 31, 2007 in Juneau after a long bout with diabetes. She was 58.
Robin was born in Monterey Park, California on Dec. 16, 1948. She came north to Alaska with her father when she was a child. She attended Skagway City School from first grade until graduation in 1967.
A prolific piano player, Robin took lessons at Pius X Mission school, and played many years for the home-grown Days of ‘98 Show and at graduations. At less than five feet tall, she could barely reach the pedals, but she became known as “Bobbin’ Robin.” She also was the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Queen runner-up in 1967.
She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Emblem Club and Eagles Auxiliary in Skagway.
Robin attended business college in Seattle for two years and returned to Skagway to work for the family’s hardware store. She was the company bookkeeper and the cheery voice who answered the phone at Skagway Hardware for 32 years before her early retirement two years ago.
A year ago, when she could no longer live with the disease at home, she had to leave Skagway, eventually taking up residence at Wildflower Court, adjacent to Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau. The family is grateful for the love of the special caregivers at Wildflower Court.
Robin is survived by her “hubby” Ross Lofton of Skagway; sons Jacob of Juneau and Hopi Lofton of Seattle; parents Ben and Bea Lingle of Skagway and Mesa, Arizona (who were able to fly in to be with her – the only jet that made it into Juneau for two days); sisters Kathy (and Bob) O’Daniel-Dietrick of Juneau and Dorothy (and Jeff) Brady of Skagway; brothers Mike (and Sylvia) and John (and Janet) O’Daniel of Skagway; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and lots and lots of friends in Skagway.
She also leaves her beloved two kitties, Christopher and Baby. Memorial donations may be made in Robin’s name to the Paws and Claws Animal Shelter in Skagway.
A memorial service will be held in Skagway in the spring.
