Daily Sitka Sentinel

Louis Joseph Licari

Services for Louis Joseph Licari, a Sitka resident for more than 55 years, will be 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at St. Gregory’s Catholic Church.
Interment will follow at Sitka National Cemetery.
Louis died Feb. 18 in Seattle. He was 84.
He was born Nov. 28, 1929, in Biwabik, Minn., one of 10 children of Joseph and Angeline (Verdi) Licari. He graduated from Biwabik High School in 1947, and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Cloud College in St. Cloud, Minn. He also attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., for graduate courses.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged in 1954 after serving four years.
At  St. Cloud College, he  met Marilyn
Sook, and in 1958 they planned a wedding. He flew her to Sitka in a PBY, and they were married Oct. 25 in the old Catholic church on Baranof Street.
Louis had come to Sitka to teach sixth grade, one of many jobs he held over the years. While in college he was a truck driver for Lake Iron Ore mine in Biwabik, and during the summers in Sitka he worked for Alaska Lumber and Pulp Co. during construction of the pulp mill as a hod carrier and accountant; and was with the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Radach Janitorial Services.
He taught various grades, and coached wrestling at Sitka High in 1967. He was the first director of Sitka Community College, which was in the old Front Street School on Katlian Street, the site today of the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi.
Afterward, he returned to the Sitka School District as director of vocational education, and retired as superintendent of schools in 1983. But he was called back the following year to train the incoming superintendent – he would say he retired too soon.
Louis was an avid reader, and liked sports and news on the TV. He dearly loved to chop wood and have a fire in the fireplace.
He was a lifelong member of the Elks Lodge 1662 and the American Legion Post 13.
Around 9 a.m. he would join the  daily coffee gang at the Elks Lodge – many great decisions were made there.
Louis was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Licari of Sitka; sons and daughters-in-law David and Brenda Licari of Columbus, Neb., and John and Jamie Licari of Sitka; a sister, Mary Ann (Licari) Johnson of Hibbing, Minn.; grandchildren Anthony, Matthew and Samantha Licari  of Nebraska, and Vincent and Jacob Licari of Sitka; great-grandchildren Jayden, Kaira and Aubrey Licari of Nebraska; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be David Licari, John Licari, Jon Calhoun, Bruce Whitcomb, Dave Hill, Lloyd Dennis, Ken Creamer, Robert Schell and Tom Budd.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to St. Labre Mission School, 1000 Tongue River Road, Ashland, MT 59003.