DIVE PRACTICUM – Dive student Karson Winslow hands a discarded garden hose to SCUBA instructor Haleigh Damron, standing on the dock, at Crescent Harbor this afternoon. The University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus Dive Team is clearing trash from the harbor floor under floats 5, 6 and 7 as part of their instruction. Fourteen student divers are taking part this year. This is the fifth year the dive team has volunteered to clean up Sitka harbors. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The threat of major cutbacks to the subsistence socke [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
With the first vote on the city budget for fiscal yea [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
In the final day of play in the recreational division City League volleyball [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Three amateur athletes from Sitka were among tens of [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A proposal to require Alaska schools to keep opioid-overdose-r [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s Kobuk River, which flows out of the Brooks Range above [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 16
At 8:07 a.m. a woman [ ... ]
Presentation On
Medicare, SS
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and Cynthia Gibson, CFP®, an [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Musicians from Sitka High and Mt. Edgecumbe High scho [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Whether you enjoy scaling mountains, walking in the p [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Two-time Alpine Adventure Run winner Chris Brenk cont [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee expanded a [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS and
CLAIRE STREMPLE
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 15
A protective order was issued at 1 [ ... ]
Chamber Speaker
Event Wednesday
The Chamber of Commerce speaker series will continue noon Wednesday at [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
From high costs and low availability to challenges sur [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A number of participants at Thursday’s community me [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE Alaska Beacon TJ Beers stood across the street from the Capitol in a nav [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
When it rains hard enough in the Prince of Wales Island town of C [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
A designated wilderness area in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Fo [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Julie Kitka, the longtime president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 12
At 5:18 p.m. a caller asked for a [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka Tourism Task Force reviewed a number of recomme [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Almost exactly a century ago, the engines of four modi [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Fisherman Jake Phillips Dies in Sitka at Age 91
Jack Duane “Jake” Phillips
Jack Duane “Jake” Phillips, a well respected Southeast Alaska fisherman, died Feb. 9 at the Sitka Pioneers Home. He was 91.
As he requested, no services will be held.
Jake was born June 11, 1931, at St. Ann’s Hospital in Juneau. His parents, John F. and Ida M. (Barber) Phillips, worked at the Chichagof mine, and Jake’s early years were at the mine. When it closed, the family moved to Sitka.
Jake worked many jobs as a young man – crewed on a freighter, was a taxi driver, construction worker, and fisherman.
Jake met Nancy Hamilton, his beloved wife, while driving taxi cab in Sitka, a winter job when he wasn’t fishing. Jake needed a boat puller for salmon trolling, and one of her sisters suggested Nancy go. Jake asked Nancy’s mom for permission to hire Nancy, and she gave her approval. Jake and Nancy would marry and fish together for over 50 years.
They fished for salmon, tuna, halibut, and black cod from San Diego to Kodiak Island, but mostly in the outside waters of Southeast Alaska. Jake’s boats, over the years, include the fishing vessels Lila A, Kruzof, Aloha, Nancy K, Shamrock, and Lea. Jake kept his boats in good operating condition, ready to fish.
In 1961, Jake and Nancy moved to Pelican. Along with fishing, they bought the Pelican Wet Goods and operated the liquor store and steam baths.
They had many friends in the fishing industry, Alaskans, other Americans, Canadians, and Japanese. Seafood processors knew his fish were well-cared for and kept on ice until delivered.
Jake served on the Advisory Panel of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, appointed in 1979, during the extension of the Exclusive Economic Zone offshore fisheries of Alaska.
He was a founding member of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association. Jake urged involvement in fishery management affecting fishing communities ways of life.
Jake enjoyed hunting and trapping, anchoring his boat in the coastal areas of West Chichagof Island, and Lisianski Inlet and Strait – activities he shared with his sons. He enjoyed his time at Sunnyside and Phonograph Cove.
In his later years, Jake loved reminiscing with his sons John and James, and grandsons, and enjoyed his great-grandchildren.
He was a member of the Sitka Elks Lodge.
Jake and Nancy returned to Sitka in 2004. She died on April 21, 2021.
Also preceding Jake in death was his son John C. Phillips.
Survivors include his son James E. Phillips (Patricia), of Pelican; daughters Joanne Glendenning (Stuart), of Battleground, Washington, and Lynn Ann Phillips; and daughters-in-law Penney Phillips of Juneau and Maura O’Brien Phillips of Petersburg.
His grandchildren are Crystal Stoner (Dennis), Juneau; James D. Phillips (Kyla Westcott), Sitka; Jordan E. Phillips (Mercedes Piedra Phillips), Sitka; Frederick C. Phillips (Shari), Sitka; Carl J. Phillips, Pelican; Jeb Phillips (Angela Bertagnoli), Petersburg; and Aaron Phillips (Carolyn Kvernvik), Petersburg.
His sister Bonnie Grant (Fred) lives in Sitka (children Erika and Lael), and his brother George Casey Phillips (children Ken and Jake) lives in Pelican.
His great-grandchildren are Rebecca, William, David, Aurora, Nola, Darren, Carlynn, Braydon, Blayre and Isla.
Also surviving are a great-great-grandson and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family suggests memorial donations be made to a favorite charity, or to Catholic Community Services (Meals on Wheels program).
Login Form
20 YEARS AGO
April 2004
Photo caption: Sitka High students in the guitar music class gather in the hall before the school’s spring concert. The concert was dedicated to music instructor Brad Howey, who taught more than 1,000 Sitka High students from 1993 to 2004. From left are Kristina Bidwell, Rachel Ulrich, Mitch Rusk, Nicholas Mitchell, Eris Weis and Joey Metz.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1974
The Fair Deal Association of Sealaska shareholders selected Nelson Frank as their candidate for the Sealaska Board of Directors at the ANB Hall Thursday.
Calendar
