John Enge

John W. Enge, World War II veteran and fishing industry pioneer, died May 7, 2010, in Petersburg. He was 95. He was among the last of the early generation of Norwegians who settled on Mitkof Island at the turn of the last century.

Enge was born in Petersburg to immigrants Martin and Augusta Enge in 1915, and grew up exploring the wild territory and fishing from an open dory. In 1934, he attended the University of Washington, where he majored in fisheries.

When the U.S. entered World War II, Enge joined the Naval Air Corps. He later switched to sea duty and was given command of LST 921. In August 1944, the ship was struck by a German torpedo and sank, killing 43 sailors. His next assignment was in the Pacific, where he dodged kamikazes and performed support for the Okinawa invasion. After the war he returned to Petersburg and met a young school teacher named Carol Anderson at a Sons of Norway dance. They married in Juneau on Christmas Eve 1946.

Enge began his career as a fish buyer in Pelican. After four years, he and his family returned to Petersburg, where he went to work as plant manager for Kayler-Dahl Fish Co. (later Whitney-Fidalgo). As one of the few in the industry with an academic background, he came to be respected for his ideas on developing new fisheries, expanding markets, and protecting the quality of fresh fish. He concluded his career at Icicle Seafoods.

Enge served on the Petersburg School Board, the local board of the National Bank of Alaska, and was active in the Boy Scouts. He and Carol devoted time to the Pioneers of Alaska, and headed a project that led to the book, "Pioneer Profiles: A History of Petersburg Settlers 1898-1959," which recounts stories of early families.

He loved the outdoors -- especially boating, berry picking, fishing, camping and hunting with his family.

He is survived by Carol, his wife of 63 years; sons, Arnold, John and Steve; daughters, Marilee and Elisabeth; 12 grandchildren and a great-grandson.