Barry Kier

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Category: Obituaries

Created on Monday, 14 October 2013 14:57

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Barry Kier, 67, longtime resident of North Pole, passed away after a valiant battle with lung cancer on Oct. 7, 2013, in the presence of loving and caring staff at Sitka Pioneers Home.
Barry was born in Rochester, N.Y., on July 31, 1946, the son of Harold “Butts” and Nora “Betty” Kier. Barry is predeceased by his father, Butts.
Surviving family are his mother, Betty, of Sitka; brother, Bruce, and sister-in-law, Karen, of Bradford, Vt.; sister, Noreen Cloutier and brother-in-law, Vaughn Cloutier, of Epping, N.H.; and nephew Eric Cloutier and his wife Bri, of Rochester, N.H.

Barry’s family also included his cherished State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities  colleagues in Fairbanks.
Barry was raised in East Rochester, N.Y. After high school graduation, he joined the United States Naval Reserve. A few years later, he was called upon for active duty in Viet Nam as radioman aboard the destroyer USS Fred T. Berry. He received an Honorable Discharge in March, 1968.
In 1974, Barry claimed Alaska as his own personal last frontier and lived in Eagle River and Anchorage for several years, relocating to North Pole in 1981.
Barry was quite fond of photography and never missed an opportunity to capture wildlife with his camera, whether it was a bull moose in the backyard or a fox outside of the DOT&PF warehouse he proudly managed.
In 2012, Barry chose the island community of Sitka for retirement and took up residence at the Sitka Pioneers Home. In doing so, he was happy to be living closer to Betty, who moved into the Pioneers Home in 2006.
Barry had a wide circle of friends in Sitka to whom the family will be forever grateful.
Barry’s cremated remains will be buried in the wall at Sitka National Cemetery with a traditional military ceremony.
In memoriam contributions may be sent to the American Cancer Society.