Jeffery Mark Widman

1967 - 2024

Jeffrey Mark Widman passed away due to multiple health issues at the age of 57 in Anchorage, Alaska, at Providence Hospital on Dec. 22, 2024. He was born on Nov. 13, 1967, in Tacoma, Washington, where he joined his parents, Joe and Joanne Widman, and his brother, Jason. He was baptized at Central Lutheran Church in Tacoma, Washington, with his aunt and uncle Jerry and Mary Ann Bayne as godparents.
Jeffrey was raised from infancy on St. Paul Island, an island in the middle of the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska. His father was the principal of the school and his mother was a teacher. He was lovingly cared for by all of his Aleut babysitters and carried fond memories of his time there that endured his entire life.
His father took a new superintendent of schools' job in Ft. Yukon, and his mother taught in the school. Now he and his brother had Athabascan babysitters and lifelong friends. Winters were brutal in Ft. Yukon, but it was a great place for a kid to begin early life.
His parents decided to spend the bicentennial year 1976 in Tacoma, Washington, at their Tacoma house, and he attended second grade at the Central Lutheran Church Day school in the same church he was baptized in.
Leaving Tacoma, the family moved to North Pole, Alaska, where his father was principal at North Pole Elementary and his mother taught at North Pole Junior Senior High School. He played the trumpet in bands of all the schools he attended. Sports were a big part of his school years, and he lettered in four varsity sports his senior year. He was a member of the 1983-84 North Pole high school wrestling team that won the team state championship that year in Alaska. He was confirmed at Fairbanks Lutheran Church by Pastor Bruce Engebretson in 1982. He graduated from North Pole Senior High in 1986.
He then attended Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska, and studied commercial fisheries. After leaving Sitka, he pursued additional fisheries technology studies at AVTEC in Seward, Alaska. The fishing emphasis was a result of being involved in the family commercial drift salmon gillnet fishery on Cook Inlet since age 10 aboard either FV Albacore or FV Eagle. He developed the love for the water and fishing from an early age, and it was his life.
He then went on to serve a couple of years in the United States Coast Guard. After leaving the Coast Guard, he moved back to Sitka, Alaska, where he met Donna Jackson, the mother of his two children, Paul and Jeremiah Widman. He was also adopted by the Tlingit Eagle clan. He had a small 27' hand troller and fished it out of Sitka. Much time was also spent hunting deer whenever he had the chance. He was introduced to hunting at an early age by his father and enjoyed all types of hunts: deer, bear, moose, birds, etc. It wasn't always the success of the hunt rather than just being away from the noises of civilization.
He moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and worked in the Plumbers and Pipefitters union for many years, while continuing to fish commercially. Eventually, fishing was his main occupation since that was what he truly loved doing. He fished salmon, halibut, and cod almost year-round as seasons allowed. He owned one of the families' original boats, the FV Albacore, and the limited entry permit for Cook Inlet. He was always at home on the water, and the sea called to him when he was away from it for very long. This is where he found the most peace on this earth.
He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Widman; grandparents, Ed and Martha Bayne; grandparents, Leonard and Esther Widman; and cousin, Fred Widman.
He is survived by his mother, Joanne Bayne Widman; sons, Paul Joseph Widman and Jeremiah Mitchell Widman; brother, Jason and wife, Carol Widman, and their children, Christina and Ahren Widman; cousins, Dave Jackman, JoAnn Evers, Lynn Schwendeman, Larry Widman, Bill Widman, Gary Widman, Mary Widman, Barbara Bothman, Don Widman, Nancy Granlund, Ben Widman, John Widman, Apryl Jackson-Clark, and Maria Doss.
Any memorial contributions can be made to United Cook Inlet Drift Association at 43961 K Beach Road, Suite E, Soldotna, Alaska; 907-260-9436.
Memorial services are being held at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2025, with coffee hour following, at Central Lutheran Church, 1420 Cordova St in Anchorage, Alaska. Burial to follow at 3 p.m. at Angelus Memorial Park cemetery, 440 East Klatt Rd, Anchorage, Alaska.