Kurk Russell Varner

1963 - 2025

If heaven runs on gasoline, Kurk Varner got there in record time. He probably arrived sideways, engine roaring, and grinning all the way.
Kurk loved anything that burned fossil fuel: ATVs, motorcycles, snowmachines, boats, and big trucks. If it rumbled, smoked, or needed goggles, he was in. For him, a good day ended with the smell of exhaust and a story worth retelling.
When the engines cooled and Kurk picked up a pencil, he could sketch a mountain in charcoal or draw plans for his next project. He built houses with the same care he used in his art; measuring, shaping, and seeing things others missed. He was a craftsman who believed good work mattered.
Few things pleased him more than running his Grampa Haldo's John Deere tractor. That wasn't just equipment to him; it was a connection to the man who taught him to respect machines and learn about the work they make possible.
Some of Kurk's favorite days didn't involve engines at all. They were quiet mornings fishing with his dad or tracking through the woods at dawn during hunting season. No engine noise. No hurry. Just father and son, side by side, building memories that will outlast all the gear he ever owned.
Kurk Russell Varner, 62, of Fairbanks, Alaska, died on Oct. 21, 2025. He was born in Columbia, Missouri, on Sept. 15, 1963, to Stuart and Carol Ann Varner.
His childhood was a family Air Force adventure that stretched across Missouri, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan, Virginia, Germany, California, Utah, North Dakota, and Alaska. Living overseas opened his eyes to the world, and he fell in love with skiing in the Alps. But of all the places the family traveled, Alaska was the one that stuck.
Most people who met Kurk loved him. The ones who didn't probably never got the chance to ride shotgun.
A memorial for Kurk will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at Chapel of Chimes, 415 Illinois Street. The number for the chapel is 907-456-5566.