George Benesch

Anchorage resident and longtime Alaskan George Lee Benesch, 84, died March 6, 2009, at home.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. today at Faith Christian Community Church, 4240 Wisconsin St., with a reception after the service.
Mr. Benesch was an accomplished fly-fisherman, gardener, recreational gold miner and canoeist, and he loved spending time in the Alaska outdoors with his kids and grandkids.
He was born Jan. 11, 1925, in Pueblo, Colo., to Maurice and Martha Benesch. He graduated from Pueblo High in 1943 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in March of 1944. He trained as a tail gunner on B-29s and flew missions out of Guam and Okinawa toward the end of World War II. After he was honorably discharged in 1946, he returned to Colorado, attended college in Boulder and married his sweetheart, Peggy Higby, of Pueblo, Colo.
After receiving his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado in 1950, he and Peggy drove the newly opened Alaska Highway to Haines. George worked as a truck driver during the construction of the Haines to Haines Junction road. He and Peggy started a dairy farm in Haines, which they ran until moving to Juneau in 1952.
George was hired as an electrical engineer for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and worked for them from 1952 to 1962. In addition, both he and his wife were very involved in Alaska statehood issues. The family temporarily moved to Eugene, Ore., in 1962 so he could attend law school. He graduated with his law degree in 1965. They returned to Alaska and he was appointed an assistant attorney general.
In Juneau, he was heavily involved in his three sons' Scouting activities and was scoutmaster for Troop 12 for several years. During his tenure, Troop 12 went on numerous summer and winter camping trips, including a hike over the Chilkoot Trail and two 450-mile canoe trips down the Yukon River.
In January 1970, George was appointed a transportation commissioner for the State of Alaska Transportation Commission, and the family moved to Anchorage. He stepped down from the post of commissioner and went into private practice, specializing in transportation law, in 1972. He also served 10 years as chief hearings officer for the State Transportation Commission. He finally retired from private practice in 1990 to spend more time with his children and grandchildren.
George was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 39 years, Peggy, in 1988.
He is survived by his three sons and their spouses, David Benesch of Anchorage; Dan and Leah Benesch of Thompson Falls, Mont.; and Dudley and Lisa Benesch of Anchorage; grandchildren, Deven, Michael, Eugene and Katherine; and his brothers and their wives, Walter and Renate Benesch of Fairbanks and Ralph and Eunok Benesch of Springfield, Va.