Jack L. Metzler

1935 - 2015

Jack "Yukon Jack" Metzler passed away peacefully on Feb. 8, 2015, at home in Anchor Point, Alaska, after a battle with cancer. Jack was born on March 25, 1935, in Chad, Africa, to missionary parents. He loved growing up in Africa, where his love for the Lord and for adventure began. When Jack was 12 years old, he sailed to America with his family on the Queen Mary. Jack lived in the "Lower 48" until 1969, when he packed up his family and moved them north to Alaska. In the states he had loved Harley-Davidson Motorcycles but in Alaska, he discovered bush planes. He managed to acquire his pilot's license within just two years of living in Alaska, and he owned four different planes over the years. His bush planes added a whole new dimension to his many hunting and fishing trips. Jack was a great story teller and loved to tell about his exciting adventures. Whether it was a story about hunting, fishing or just a trip to town, he could make you laugh about it. While living in the bush, he owned and operated Spirit Lodge on Seven Mile Lake. This kept him and his family very busy with friends that came out to hunt and experience the bush and with hunters that became friends. There will be a celebration of his life on May 9, 2015, in Anchor Point, where he lived on and off since 1994. Jack has requested that his grandson, Jake Soplanda, fly his ashes to Seven Mile Lake to have them spread. Jack loved life and definitely lived it to the fullest. He passed on his love for the "true outdoors" to both of his daughters. Jack is survived by his partner, Elizabeth Middlewood; daughters, Jolayne Soplanda of Anchor Point, Alaska, and Jonnie Banks of Indiana; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren; his sister, Evelyn Metzler of Florida; and his brother, Edwin Metzler of Indiana. Jack's family has asked that donations be made to your local hospice organization.