Donald Stanley Koberstein

Sterling, Alaska resident, Mr. Donald Stanley Koberstein, 77, passed away, Friday, February 6, 2015 at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.

Graveside services were held 1:00 p.m., Friday, February 13, 2015 at the Fort Richardson National Cemetery. Military honors were performed by the JBER honor guard team. Pallbearers included Stan, Terry & Todd Koberstein. Chaplain Robert Lawrence officiated

Donald was born November 18, 1937 to Albert Mandrow Koberstein, Jr. & Margarite (Currington) in Hillsboro, OR. He entered into the U.S. Air Force and had served our nation before retiring in 1975 as an E7. Donald received his GED and many US Air Force certificates. He was a 32 degree Mason from Deadwood Lodge in Deadwood, South Dakota. In 1968 Don was transferred to Vandenberg Air Force Base in CA. Don learned to scuba dive and the boys loved to watch their Dad bring his catch of abalone and fish ashore and clean and cook his catch on the beach. The boys developed from children to teenagers and under the guidance of the Vandenberg Saddle Club and Mom and Dad, they learned to ride their horses on trail rides and parades around the local area. In 1975 Don retired from the Air Force and we moved back home to Oregon where Don bought the ?JulieK,? a 42? fishing trawler. After a fashion he sold the boat and by then the boys were all adult men and had moved up to Alaska. Don and I moved to Alaska in June of 1995, where Don spent most of his time clamming, fishing and canning his catch.

?In early December 1965, we were ice fishing in the Black Hills outside of Mt. Rushmore. Don dressed the kids for bed and I made sure the windows were closed. Around two a.m., two month old Todd woke wanting a warm bottle. As I made my way to Todd, I saw that our cat, Cocoa had been kneeding Todd?s shoulder with her claws and I furiously slammed the cat back on the camper bed and tried to warm the baby?s bottle. Nothing would light, not a piece of newspaper, not Don?s cigarette lighter, nothing! About that time Don realized there was no oxygen left in the camper and if the cat had not woke us up, we would not be here today to tell the story. There were no marks on Todd?s arms from Cocoa kneeding him. She just used enough force to wake us up and escape the horrible death that could have beheld us if Don and Cocoa had not gone into action,? the family wrote.

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Albert Mandrow Koberstein, Jr. & Margaret Iona Currington. He is survived by his wife of 57 and half years, Julie; sons, Stan, Terry & Todd Koberstein; granddaughters, Jenna of NY and Katie of Wasilla; sister, Darlene Peterson of Hillsboro, OR; nieces, Margo Wigington and Marci-Brett Letourneau.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the family, C/O Julie Koberstein, P.O. Box 752, Sterling, AK 99672.

Arrangements were cared for by the Anchorage Funeral Home. Please visit Don?s obituary and online guestbook at www.AlaskanFuneral.com