Janet Marie Halvarson

1936 - 2025

Janet Marie (Eaton) Halvarson passed away Aug. 3, 2025, at the Fairbanks Pioneer Home. Pogo to her friends and Grandma Pogo to her family, was born July 11, 1936, in Seattle, Washington.

Pogo is survived by her husband of 68 years, Stan Halvarson, her sons Wayne Halvarson, Ivar (Kerry), daughter Ann Kjera, and AFS son Mike Adams, whom she was blessed to have visit her shortly before her death.

Grandma Pogo is also survived by seven grandchildren, Josephine (Launi Rodas), Earl (Paige), Claire (Gilbert) Maycumber, and Oliver Halvarson, Leonard, Hilary (Gram Hood), and Cynthia Kjera, and two great-grandchildren, Lilah and Winter Maycumber.

Janet was the only child of Viola and Leonard Eaton.

In her early years, Pogo was involved with Camp Fire Girls and Rainbow girls. Both groups focused on the empowerment of girls through community service. It was during her years with Camp Fire and Rainbow that she got the nickname Pogo, after the cartoon character. A name that followed her throughout her life.

Pogo met Stan while attending the University of Washington. Two years after they met, Stan said "I like Alaska, want to get married and live in Alaska? She said yes and they were married on Dec. 29, 1957. They moved to Fairbanks in April 1959 when he took a job with Wien Airlines. Pogo later attended college at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and earned a teaching degree, completing her student teaching at Denali Elementary.

As her children grew, Pogo was involved in and led many organizations. When her children were small, she was den mother of her son's Cub Scouts den and was a leader of her daughter's Blue Bird and Camp Fire Girls groups. She stayed with Camp Fire for many years as a group leader and eventually became the organization's Fairbanks executive director. One of her duties included establishing and directing a week-long residential camp, Lutuami, at Harding Lake (camp Bingle).

In the mid-1970s, Pogo became involved with Special Olympics taking on the role of area coordinator for Alaska. During that time, she organized weekly activities including Star Club, bowling, swimming and physical exercise activities. These activities improved the quality of life for many participants and helped prepare others for participation in national and international Special Olympics events. She also created Camp Hooper Hopper, a weeklong residential camp for the mentally and physically disabled, also held at Bingle. Through Special Olympics, Pogo and Stan brought into the family, and became guardians for, a blind disabled man who brought as much joy and compassion to the family's life as the family brought to him.

Pogo was a strong supporter the American Field Service (AFS) program and in the 70s through the 80s, she and her family hosted around seven AFS exchange students; keeping in contact with them throughout the years. They also hosted Rotary exchange students.

In the early 1980s, Pogo became director of the Arctic Winter Games. Along with organizing an incredible international event, she was able to broker a deal with the U.S. and Canadian governments (and their customs teams) to borrow and bring the Hodgson trophy to Alaska. As a result of her efforts, she was named the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce's Woman of the Year. Additionally, during that decade, she was instrumental in organizing a luncheon for President Regan and Pope John Paul II at the Fairbanks International Airport and was named Fairbanks Ice Festival manager, before becoming a member of the Fairbanks City Council.

Her community service didn't end there, she was executive director for the Fairbanks Visitor and Convention Bureau and was instrumental in seeing Dr. William R. Wood's initiative of making the First Family statue in Fairbanks' Golden Heart Park a reality. She also assisted in orchestrating the North Pole Christmas stamp ceremony in 1996.

Janet was very involved in politics throughout her career and began working for Sen. Ted Stevens in the early 1990s (although she had campaigned for he and Don Young since their first elections in the late 60s). In 1996, she retired from the senator's service but continued her political support for the Alaska delegation. For many years, she was president of the Fairbanks Republican Women's club.

Throughout all of her work and adventures, Pogo was proud to be a member of P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization, serving as president of her local chapter, as well as holding other offices and hosting many fundraising bridge tournaments. She was a P.E.O. member for over 50 years.

Janet had 79 years of accomplishment and will be remembered for many things: her love of family, friends, music, community, travel and service.

Janet's family would like to express their deepest thanks to the staff at the Fairbanks Pioneer Home who not only provided outstanding care, but who also became wonderful friends to her. Her family would also like to express their deepest thanks to, Suzy Ruchti (her care coordinator), and the staff of Hospice of the Tanana Valley who have also provided caring support for her for many years.

A celebration of life will be held from 1-3 p.m. Aug. 30, 2025, in the library at the Fairbanks Pioneer Home, 2221 Eagan Ave., Fairbanks, AK. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Fairbanks P.E.O. Chapter I, the Fairbanks Pioneer Home, or Hospice of the Tanana Valley.