Walter Baldwin

1937 - 2014

Walter Francis Baldwin (Quaniitaq) was born in Alaska on Oct. 6, 1937, to Carlton and Olinga (Vaska) Baldwin and was primarily raised in Aniak, Alaska. He graduated as valedictorian from Mt. Edgecumbe High School and from the University of Alaska in 1961, with a degree in business administration. Walter lived in Kodiak, where he worked for Alaska Packers, moved to Juneau in 1967, and served as administrative aide to Governors Walter Hickle and Keith Miller. He married Dawn (Chapman) in 1969, and moved his new family to Anchorage in 1972, to work for Ruralcap. He and Hank Ostrosky developed fishermen co-ops in western Alaska villages and he worked as a carpenter at pipeline pump station 5. Walter also fished Yakutat, Sitka, Elfin Cove and Hoonah, Alaska. Walter was preceded in death by his wife, Dawn; his parents; stepchildren, Jerry and Tim Wood; half-brothers, Joseph and George Gregory; stepbrother, Willie Gregory; and half-sister, Mary Frances Gregory. Walter is survived by his siblings, Joseph (Rachel) Baldwin, Nicholas (Patty) Baldwin, Clara Morgan and Clyde Vaska; half-brothers, Peter (Elena), James (Helen) and Larry (Mirium) Gregory; adopted sister, Beverly (Nick) Nicoli; stepchildren, Robin (Rick) Woodsmith, Cathy (Rick) Stitt and Mike Wood (Alice Bagoyo); grandchildren, Sabrina, Shauna, Mery, Rebecca, Rhiannon, Justin, Michael and Alicia; and numerous cousins; nieces; nephews; great- and great-great-grandchildren; and many, many friends throughout the state. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, 2015, at Northern Light United Church in Juneau, Alaska, with a reception afterwards. Please visit the Juneau Empire obituary for more on Walter's life.