Mitchell Greenwood Sheldon

Mitchell Greenwood Sheldon crossed the veil of mist to that undiscovered country during the early hours of Oct. 7, 2009, while sleeping at home in the presence of his family. Red had cancer for some time and is now at peace. Red had his 87th birthday in June while touring the Lower 48 to see friends and family.

He is survived by Iona, his wife of nearly 62 years; children, Kenneth, Penelope and Scott; eight grandchildren; a great-grandson born last August; a brother, sister and several nieces and nephews. Another son, Mike, died in 1954.

Red was born on June 25, 1922, in Chester County, Pa., to Carrie (Bradley) and Edgar Sheldon Sr. He grew up in Pennsylvania and Delaware during the Great Depression. Red graduated from Pierre S. DuPont High School, Wilmington, Del., in January 1941. He attended Temple University, majoring in metallurgy. Red always valued education and never stopped learning or sharing his many years of experience and education.

Red was drafted in December 1942 and inducted into the Army at Camden, N.J. He became a combat engineer and trained at Fort Dix, N.J., Camp Carson, Colo., and Fort Polk, La. Red was promoted to corporal and was construction foreman prior to being hospitalized in late 1943. Red was honorably discharged from Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Colo., in January 1944. The soldiers under his supervision later deployed during the invasion of Europe where the 168th Combat Engineer Battalion earned great renown for their actions in combat. While Red never made much of his short Army career, those who understand the value of strong non-commissioned officers know full well what an impact a leader like Red had on the soldiers who had served under his supervision.

After Red's discharge, he returned to the East Coast, but he had been bitten by the pioneer bug and returned to Colorado. He worked several jobs there, from truck driver to cowboy and ranch hand to coal and hard rock miner and even operated a service station. But no matter how much he worked, he always found time for his love of the wilderness, really his love of life in general. Red became an avid sportsman, steward and conservationist.

His love of the wilderness led him to settle in North Park, Colo., where he met and married Iona Barnell. Colorado had truly become Red's home, and the only place he cared to live until he moved the family to Alaska. The pioneer spirit and its challenges permeated the 62-year love affair between Iona and Red. Red and Iona may have raised their family in many places, but those places were always close to the great outdoors. In Iona, Red found his match, not only in personality, but in the love of nature.

Red was always supportive in the lives of his family. Whether it was playing ball on the city team, building a church, serving as a Scoutmaster, on church committees or as a booster for Little League, band, sports, Job's Daughters or DeMolay, Red was involved. He passed that volunteer ethic on to his family and co-workers.

Red worked on the county road crew, as on-call deputy sheriff for Jackson County, Colo., and by 1951 Red worked for the Colorado Department of Wildlife as a game warden, which he continued to do while earning a Bachelor of Science in wildlife biology in the last graduating class from Colorado A&M, and then for several more years until he was hired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1961. Red wrote many articles that were published. He provided wildlife news and commentary on a Denver TV show.

Red worked on many studies and made his mark on scientific, protection, stewardship and conservation work from the Gulf of Mexico to Yellowknife, Canada and Alaska. He worked on the Colorado grizzly bear studies in the 1950s. He helped establish the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Red worked on the DDT studies that helped to protect the bald eagle and other studies on Canada geese, whooping cranes, sandhill cranes and other species.

The 1970s saw Red move into management. He held many assignments during the first 20 years he worked for the service in Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. Red then accepted the position as the first and only monument manager for the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Monument in 1979 and moved his family to Fairbanks. For the first several months, he was responsible for the Kanuti National Wildlife Monument as well. After the final passage of the "D2" Lands Act, the Yukon Flats and Kanuti monuments were reclassified as refuges. His last assignment was as the USFWS region fire coordinator for Alaska with the Alaska Fire Service.

Red retired in 1994 after 34 years with the agency.

After retirement, Red volunteered for a season with the fire service and then spent many years as a volunteer with Hospice of the Tanana Valley.

Red's love of life, pioneer spirit and love of the wilderness kept him in Alaska for over 30 years. Iona's love of Red and her own pioneer spirit has kept her at his side all these years too. They were together through all of the changes, challenges and moves. There really is so much more to their story than can be written here.

Red was a real presence in our community; one of those people that everyone seemed to know. He was a true pioneer and a steward of the natural world that he worked to protect, preserve and conserve. Red touched the lives of many people over six decades of scientific, fire, law enforcement, public and volunteer service. He was our "Dad," and we will miss his huge personality in our lives. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

"Don't measure with a micrometer what you are going to hit with a Pulaski." -- M.G. "Red" Sheldon

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, at Fairbanks Masonic Lodge.

Arrangements were by Chapel of Chimes Funeral Home.