Recent Obituaries and Guest Books

Dean Ralph Ackley, M.D., 82, passed away June 14, 2013, at his home in Fairbanks.
Born June 5, 1931, in Minneapolis, to Lorraine and Ralph Ackley, he attended West High School before graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1956 as a doctor of medicine. After graduating, he served with the Indian Health Service as a physician on the San Carlos Apache reservation in Bylas, Ariz.
Dean practiced medicine for more than 50 years, beginning as a general practitioner in Arizona, and later practicing as a psychiatrist in California, Idaho, Washington and Alaska. He felt his most important work was with children and families, and it was his passion to create opportunities for rural Alaskans to receive care locally. Through his work, dozens of Alaska kids were able to return home to their families, and scores more didn't have to be sent Outside to receive care.
Dean had a lifelong love of the outdoors - hunting, fishing and hiking. Some of his fondest memories were of making maple syrup at his family's cabin in Minnesota.
Dean loved spending time with his two children and their families. He had the unique opportunity to spend the last six years of his life with his son Phil, and Phil's partner Heather, enjoying a retirement full of walks outside, western movies and ice cream.
Survivors include his daughter, Katie Marino; and his son, Phillip Ackley; and their partners, Chris Marino and Heather Wells; his grandsons, Ryan and Braden Marino; and his soon-to-be granddaughter, baby Ackley-Wells.
Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Lorraine Ackley.
An informal celebration of life will be held from 3-6 p.m. today, Tuesday June 18, at the Dog Musher's Hall on Farmers Loop. In addition to his friends and colleagues, former clients and their families are invited to attend.
Though we are heartbroken to lose our dad, we are comforted that he has been freed from the trials of Alzheimer's disease. Memorial contributions are welcome at the at www.alz.org.
Special thanks to Hospice of the Tanana Valley, Fairbanks Resource Agency, his longtime caregivers, Marypat and Mylynn, and friends, Pete Braveman and Sue Carney for all your help and love during his long illness.

Barbara Abbey Clark Bellido left us to go be by the side of our Lord on Friday morning, June 7, 2013. Barbara passed away peacefully at home in the arms of her grandson, Edward.
Barbara was born Nov. 6, 1931, in Brooklyn, N.Y. She lived between there and Aiken, S.C., where she attended St. Angela's Academy - the same school her children would attend and be taught by the same nun who taught her. While attending nursing school in Brooklyn, Barbara met the love of her life, Dietrich Gaston Bellido, from Lima, Peru. He had been drafted into the Army.
Soon, Barbara was traveling to France with her son, George, in tow. Soon after, another son was born, Jimmy, but he passed away after only two weeks. Moving back to Aiken, Barbara gave birth to Edith. The Bellido family was transferred all across the United States and to Panama before settling down in Aiken. Barbara enjoyed her nursing field and raising children while Dietrich made the Army his career and retired after serving 22 years. He then became a successful business man.
After the death of Dietrich in 2002, Barbara moved to Fairbanks to live with her daughter, Edith. New to Alaska, she started her career - becoming a "sourdough." Barbara fell in love with the last frontier lifestyle, enjoying the midnight sun, the gorgeous northern lights and listening to birds flying back and forth to Creamer's Field. She loved the summers and the winters, even at 40 below.
She became a member of the First Presbyterian Church on Seventh Avenue, and joined the Women's Auxiliary of the American Legion, where for many years she was the chaplain. She loved living in downtown Fairbanks where she could hear the whistles of the train and the bells of the church, sounds that reminded her of home in Aiken, S.C.
Through her associations and everyday life, she made many good and lasting friendships in Fairbanks. Barbara never met a person she did not call a friend, or turn a deaf ear to those in need. She was a woman from another time, always believing in the good in people and never seeing any of their faults. Her faith sustained her unconditionally without wavering. She was one of God's best creations and now one of his angels.
Barbara joins her husband, Dietrich; her sons, George and Jimmy; and her brothers, Roger and Gordon, in Heaven, where she will be watching over all the ones she left behind.
Barbara leaves behind her daughter, Edith Barbara Bellido Cerda-Martinez and Andre Martinez, of Fairbanks; grandsons, Edward Gaston Bellido, of Fairbanks; Serjio Gaston Cerda, of Anchorage; Jason Monroe Martinez, of Jacksonville, Fla; granddaughters, Barbara Elaine Bellido Arpin, of N.C.; Halena Ruth Martinez, of Chicago; Alexandria Danielle Bellido, of South Carolina; her daughter-in-law, Marsha Bellido, of South Carolina; sister-in-law, Shirley Clark, of California; nieces, Lori, Kathy and Karen, of California; and Cindy Clark, of Connecticut; and many granddaughters, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Arrangements entrusted to Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.

Our beloved mother, grandmother and friend went peacefully home to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 16, 2013, surrounded by family and friends. She was born in Rampart on June 19, 1920, to the late Emil and Annette Mayo Bergman. Her maternal grandparents were early Alaska pioneers, Captain Alfred Mayo and Margaret Mayo Bergman, Koyukon Athabascan.
Alice's parents moved to Fort Yukon while she was still a child. Her mother died shortly after they moved to Fort Yukon, and she was raised there in the mission. After attending grade school, she moved to Eklutna where she graduated from high school.
Upon returning to Fort Yukon, she married the late Clifton Carroll on June 11, 1940, and together they raised a large family, living the traditional village lifestyle of hunting, fishing and trapping. She was known as a master beadworker and passed the tradition on to her daughters and granddaughters. After the death of her husband in 1959, she spent years working in the retail and culinary field.
She was a shareholder in Doyon, Gwitchyaa Zhee and CIRI Corporations. Doyon honored her as Elder of the Year in 2010.
Alice is survived by her children, Patrica Carroll, Annette McCarty (James), Marvin Carroll, Florence Carroll, Alice Burk, Jeanne Carroll, Dorothy Clark (Gary), Michael Carroll, Donald Carroll, Donna Carroll, Gerald Carroll (Jackie); and her brother, Grafton Bergman, of Fort Yukon. She also is survived by 50 grandchildren, 61 great-grandchildren, 10 great-great-grandchildren; and all of the living Mayo clan across Alaska.
Alice was preceded in death by her husband, Clifton Carroll; her sons, Clifton Jr. and Emil Carroll; sons-in-law, Niles Caesar and Jerry Burk; daughters-in-law, Judith Nelson Carroll and Lou (Medina) Carroll; her parents, Emil and Annette Bergman; her stepmother, Nina Bergman; her sisters, Beth, Margaret, Bertha, Alma, Adeline; and her brother, Emil Bergman.
A memorial celebration of her life will be held at Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall today, Wednesday, June 19, 2013, which would have been her 93rd birthday. Visitation will be at noon followed by the service at 1 p.m., at the tribal hall in Fairbanks.
She will be laid to rest in Fort Yukon on Friday, June 21, following a 2 p.m. service at St. Stevens Episcopal Church.
Arrangements were entrusted to Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.

Our beloved mother, grandmother and friend went to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 16, 2013, surrounded by family. She was born in Rampart on June 19, 1920, to Emil and Annette Mayo Bergman. Her grandparents were early Alaska pioneers, Alfred and Margaret Mayo.
A memorial of her life will be held at the Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall. Visitation will start at noon followed by the service at 1 p.m. and a potlatch at
5 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, 2013.
She will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Clifton Carroll, in Fort Yukon, on Friday, June 21, 2013. A full obituary is forthcoming.

Our beloved father, William Albert Childers, 85, passed from this earthly realm on June 10, 2013. Bill was a 50-year resident of Alaska. 
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy M. Childers, and is survived by six of his seven children; Dale, Gary, David, Mark, Rita and Susan Tifental; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. William, Dorothy and their seven children moved to Fairbanks in 1964, and Bill and Dorothy never considered leaving the state.
He worked as a Teamster from a young age and was able to retire early. They took advantage of that to move to Hyder and Soldotna for several years. Dorothy and Bill traveled a lot during that time, including taking a number of cruises. Bill loved what Alaska had to offer; hunting, fishing, wonderful summer gardening, and to the end this was his passion. He and Dorothy always lived in the peaceful setting of their rural family home. He was a family man and that is what his life was about. He and Dorothy were cared for by their son, Dale, in their last years.
Visitation for Bill will be from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, June 16, 2013, at Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home, followed by a graveside service at 1 p.m. at Northern Lights Memorial Park. Immediately after, a celebration of William's life will be held at his home, 2040 Persinger Drive.

Devin Tomas Cook, 19, of Corrales, N.M., died at home Thursday, May 9, 2013. He was born Feb. 15, 1994, in Fairbanks, the son of Joseph and Nella Cook. A celebration of Tomas' life will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 7, 2013, at Bethel Church on Farmers Loop. A full obituary is forthcoming.

Amos W. David, 77, of Fairbanks, died June 4, 2013, at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
Visitation will be from
10 a.m. to noon Thursday, June 13, 2013, at Fairbanks Funeral Home. A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 2013, at Titus David Tribal Hall in Tetlin, with burial to follow at Tetlin Cemetery. John Betters will officiate.
Amos was born June 1, 1936, in Tetlin, to Andrew and Lucy David. Amos lived in Tetlin and Midway Lake. In addition to his parents, Amos was preceded in death by sisters, Myra David, Isabelle Demit, Rachel David, and Gwendalyn David; and nephew, Carl David.
He is survived by his sisters, Berthlyn Baker, of Tok; Lulu David, of Fairbanks; and brother, Gary David Sr., of Tok.
Arrangements are entrusted to Fairbanks Funeral Home.

Jeanne L. Doyas, 93, passed away May 25, 2013, in Fairbanks.
A memorial service is planned for Aug. 5, 2013. A full obituary with details will be published at a later date.
Arrangements were entrusted to Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.

Our beloved friend, Kelly R. Dygert, 51, departed for greener pastures on May 23, 2013, at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Two of her closest friends were at her side.
Kelly was born to Peter J. and Janet Grana Dygert on Aug. 23, 1961, in Rochester, N.Y. She graduated from Fairport High School in Fairport, N.Y., in 1979.
Her sister Kristen said, "Kelly always had a positive outlook and liked to know how things worked. She would buy books and ask questions because she wanted to know about everything."
Kelly then moved to Colorado where she was employed as a florist in Fort Collins while attending Colorado State University. She graduated in 1984, with a degree in animal sciences and husbandry.
After moving to Alaska, Kelly attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks and was involved in the care of the reindeer herds.
In 1990, she began employment at Flint Hills Refinery as a laboratory technician where her superior job performance and intelligence proved invaluable. She was soon promoted to chemist, a position she held until her death. She was enthusiastic about her job, in particular, striving for excellence in developing new methods for advanced scientific instrumentation.
Kelly's life revolved around her Rottweilers. She was a member of the American Rottweiler Club since 1993. She was an instructor for the Tanana Valley Kennel Club, the Alaska K9 Center and was active in animal rescue. Her goal was to help everyone achieve success with their dogs. She participated in or taught tracking, rally, obedience, confirmation, agility, herding, lure coursing and weight pulling.
After being diagnosed with cancer two years ago, Kelly showed her courage and determination. She fought long and hard with grace and dignity. Her final act of kindness was to ensure her dogs would go to good homes.
Her aunt Karen told Kelly she had accomplished much in her lifetime and did it all herself; she could be proud of her life. Karen said, "Kelly was our brave and courageous girl, she never surrendered and had the strength to move forward and get things done."
She was preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by her sister, Kristen Dygert; and nephews, Sean and Joey, of New York; aunts, Karen Freed, of Florida; and Nancy Webber, of New York; many cousins; her beloved dogs; and many dear friends.
She was met at the Rainbow Bridge by her dogs who had gone before her.
Her friends will gather to celebrate Kelly's life with a barbecue and potluck at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 20, 2013, at Alaska K9 Center, 1995 Badger Road, North Pole. Please come and bring a dish to share and your memories of Kelly.
Arrangements were entrusted to Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.

Alfred Van Fulkerson flew peacefully into the arms of the Lord from his home in Sun Valley, Nev., on June 1, 2013, where he was cared for by his loving wife and daughter. Alfred was born at home on Dec. 22, 1926, to Orval Ralph Fulkerson and Ora Belle LaRue Fulkerson in Citrus Heights, Calif.
Alfred joined the U.S. Navy during WWII at age 17, serving aboard a fuel supply ship called the USS Soubarissen in the Pacific Theater. In August 1949, Alfred married Betty Jean Kimbrell. They attended Bible college and then ministered together throughout California and Mexico during the healing revivals in the 1950s before founding and pastoring Christian Believer's Fellowship in Sacramento in 1960. Their daughter, LaNora Ann, was born in 1962. While in California, Alfred took flying lessons and earned his pilot's license.
Alfred moved his family to Alaska in 1974. He worked on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline from 1974 until the early 1980s. He also worked as a carpenter throughout his life, retiring from the Carpenter's Local Union in 1984.
Alfred and Betty pastored together at Delta Christian Center, a church they founded in Delta Junction, until Betty passed away in 1990. Alfred retired from pastoring Delta Christian Center in 1992, and then moved back to California where he met and married Trudy Szymanski Franz in 1993. Alfred and Trudy celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on May 22, 2013, while Alfred was in the hospital.
Alfred was selfless and giving; ministering and loving people were his life-long passions. Though officially retired from the ministry, he and Trudy continued a home Bible study group and Alfred was able to speak into peoples' lives, even as his own earthly life slipped away.
He will be greatly missed by those whose lives he so deeply touched.
Alfred is preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Kimbrell Fulkerson; father, Orval Fulkerson; his mother, Ora Fulkerson; and his brothers, JP "Bud" Fulkerson, and Myron Fulkerson; and his niece, Peggy Mourier.
He is survived by his second wife, Trudy Szymanski Fulkerson, of Sun Valley, Nev.; daughter, LaNora Tolman (Michael), of Fairbanks; grandsons, Abraham Tolman (Abigail), and Noah Tolman, both of Fairbanks; granddaughter, Hosanna Tolman, of Seattle, Wash.; four great-grandchildren; sisters in California, Elnora (Bob) Purtel, Mary Lee, and Lois Mourier; three step-children, Wendy Crews (Danny), of Cantonment, Fla.; Marcey Amin, of Antelope, Calif.; Bobby Franz (Mishal), of Rocklin, Calif.; and numerous spiritual sons and daughters spread around the globe.
Alfred's internment took place at Sylvan Cemetery in his birth town of Citrus Heights, Calif.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: Memorial Fund for Alfred Fulkerson at Great Basin Federal Credit Union in Sparks, Nevada.