Lillian Kasnick Dies; Sitka Resident was 87

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Category: Obituaries

Created on Friday, 10 March 2023 14:17

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Lillian Anna Boen Kasnick

Lillian Anna Boen Kasnick, of Sitka, Alaska, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2023, at age 87.

Lillian was born on March 12, 1935, to Ole Anderson Boen and Selma Margaret (Tensvold) Boen in Tacoma, Washington.

The family moved to Sitka when Lillian was 15. Just a short year later her parents were ready to move again, but Lillian had found a home here and opted for boarding with a local family so that she could stay. She graduated from Sitka High School in 1953, and then went on to earn a degree in accounting at Sheldon Jackson College.

Lillian started her career in accounting at Alaska Lumber and Pulp, as well as at various local banks in Sitka.

In 1967, Lillian and her then husband purchased the Sitka Bazaar property at 215 Lincoln St. from family members Charles and Nan Peterson. Together they rebuilt the building and business that had been destroyed in the 1966 downtown Sitka fire. 

In the early 1970’s, Lillian moved to Fairbanks and began an incredibly successful career as a business woman in the food and beverage industry. The Sunset Strip was a truck stop for the teamsters that hauled supplies for the Trans-Alaska pipeline, and it soon became the largest and most successful truck stop and lounge in Alaska. With the help of her husband and son, Lillian then purchased Pikes Landing and expanded the one-room cabin into a fine dining and lounge restaurant that was renowned throughout the state. In life, as in her businesses, Lillian expected the very best and would not settle for anything but excellence. If you ever had the pleasure of waiting on her in a dining establishment, you probably got a taste of these standards. 

Lillian found great joy in traveling, and did so extensively throughout her years. From Siberia to Norway and almost every country in between, one would be hard pressed to find a place that she didn’t have a story from.

Lillian moved home to Sitka in 2000 to be closer to family, and settled into a slower paced life than Fairbanks had offered her. She found peace in gardening and berry picking. She loved spending time on her boat, often going out to play cards with old friends or taking a tub down at Goddard Hot Springs. She was a member of the Sitka Woman’s Club.

Lillian’s only child, Chuck, and his sons, were the greatest joys of her life. To say she was a proud mother and grandmother would be an extreme understatement. She enjoyed fishing and traveling with them, but found just as much contentment in spending an afternoon watching baseball and TV game shows together. 

Stubborn and feisty as she might have been, she was also thoughtful and generous. She was honest and spoke her mind (though that wasn’t always a good combination), and her determination and work ethic were unmatched; maintaining her role as the accountant for the family business, the Sitka Bazaar, up until she fell ill this year. 

“We will remember her always for her spunky personality, her quick witted sense of humor, and above all else the love she had for her family,” a member of the family said. 

Lillian was predeceased by her husband Guy Kasnick and brother Ray “Bo” Boen. She is survived by her son Chuck Trierschield (Shannon); grandsons Charlie Trierschield and Jake Trierschield, niece Shawn Boen, as well as countless other youths in Sitka who will always remember her as  “Nana.”

At her request, there will be no service.

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