Robert J. Ingram

1920 - 2015

Robert, known to many as "Uncle Bob," peacefully passed into eternity on Jan. 18, 2015, at Alaska Regional Hospital following a brief illness. He was born to Charles and Helen Ingram on July 8, 1920, in Oakland, Calif. His sister, Sara; brother, Ed; and parents preceded him in death. God fearing from his youth, at 17 Bob publicly expressed his choice for the Lordship of Jesus over his daily life, a choice to which he continually attempted to adhere and that greatly enriched his life throughout his remaining 77 years. Early in life, Bob served an apprenticeship in woodworking and cabinetmaking and, at the onset of WWII, was working for a shipwright and jointers union in the California Bay Area. As a civilian Bob was transferred to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in the interest of the war effort. He escaped death in June 1942, when Japanese bombing of the island took the lives of 40 military personnel camped next door to his unit. Bob continued in Dutch Harbor until the Seabees relieved his company, after which he worked awhile in Kodiak, Alaska, and then joined the Navy. Bob was stationed at Mare Island near San Francisco, Calif., where he worked in a shop providing prostheses for the missing limbs of military personnel returning home from service to their country. At Bob's release from the Navy, he returned to work in Kodiak until he had funds enough to purchase a home place for his father in California. Bob entered the Christian ministry in the fall of 1946, wherein he labored in California, Idaho, Washington, and, from 1965 until 1989, in Alaska. Unable to continue in the ministry, Bob resided in Fairbanks, Alaska, and entered the Pioneer Home in 2011, and since has often expressed his thankfulness for the tender loving care he received from the staff at the Home and his many friends. He is fondly remembered for his kindly spirit and interest in the lives of all his acquaintances with whom he shared many cherished woodworking mementos. Bob is survived by his niece, Evelyn (Charles) Jenkins of Canyon Lake, Calif.; nephew, Kenneth (Gail) Ingram of Benisia, Calif.; and several great-nieces and nephews. Services will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, at The Labor Union Hall, 2501 Commercial Drive in Anchorage, Alaska. Visitation will begin at 5:30 p.m.