John Pezzenti Jr.

John Pezzenti Jr., 55, a well-known local photographer, died Dec. 2, 2007, at home.
A reception will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel. Attendees are asked to bring memories to share.
Mr. Pezzenti was born June 12, 1952, in Newington, Conn., to John and Jane Pezzenti.
As a young man in 1976, John came to the wilds of Alaska to live and capture, in pictures, the beauty that surrounds the state. He worked on the pipeline in Valdez in the '70s, and was the owner of Kenai Lake Lodge for a number of years before settling down in Bear Valley in Anchorage.
His family wrote: "Mr. Pezzenti's impressive list of accomplishments included the publishing of three books of photography: 'Alaska,' 'The American Eagle' and 'Shooting Bears.'
"His images are displayed in private and corporate institutions, including the White House, and have appeared in National Geographic, Readers Digest, Natural History, the Alaska Magazine and several photography magazines."
Mr. Pezzenti gave lectures at the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Natural History and Windows of the World at the World Trade Center, to name a few. He appeared on several radio talk shows and appeared on a segment of "Wild Things." "J"John Pezzenti Jr. loved Alaska and wanted to share it with the world," his family wrote. "He was a much loved man by his family and many people all over Alaska and the Lower 48. He will be forever missed."
He is survived by his parents, John and Jane Pezzenti of Newington; his wife and stepdaughter, Jamie and Leslie of Eagle River; sisters, Jean, Jeanine Jane and Joyce, all of Newington; nephew, Paul; and nieces, Veronica, Alexander, Samantha, Annie and Emily, all of Newington.