Gary Lloyd Eddy
Gary Lloyd Eddy, former Sitkan, unexpectedly “walked into the forest” Sept. 20, 2016, at home in Juneau. He was 66.
Gary was Eagle/Wolf of the Yanyeidi Clan of the Taku Tlingit People. His Tlingit name was Kegaan.
Gary was born on June 25, 1950, in Juneau. He graduated from Sitka High School, earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology master’s program in project management.
Right after finishing at MIT, he worked for the U.S. Public Health Service, Environmental Health Branch, Construction Section. He was very proud and passionate about his work in eliminating the use of honey buckets in numerous small rural communities by improving the water and sewer systems. The villages included Noatak, Kotzebue, Nome, Kake, Kasaan, Klawock, Craig, Nikolai and Emmonak (where he met his wife Bernadette).
He also worked in Saxman, Sitka, Anchorage and Juneau, where he retired from the State of Alaska Department of Transportation on Aug. 1, 2016.
He enjoyed fishing and entered the Sitka, Ketchikan, and Juneau salmon derbies with family and friends. He also liked berry picking; putting up and cooking fish, especially his own deep fried halibut; and watching and talking with friends about football, baseball games, and current political issues.
Gary was on the Shee Atika Inc. board, and served as chairman. The current Shee Atika board president, Ken Cameron, stated, “I served with Gary on the Shee Atika Board in the 1980s and found him passionate about the things and issues he cared about.”
Gary is survived by his wife Bernadette, and daughter Tammy of Juneau, son Christopher (Laura) of Portland, Ore., and daughter Erin Eddy (Billy Weis) of Ketchikan; sisters Karen Eddy of Fairbanks, Francine (Laird Jones), and Kitty Eddy of Juneau, Nancy Douglas (Ed Young) of Sitka; and brother Rocky (Patty) Eddy of Juneau.
Also surviving are nine grandchildren, Holly, Dean, Lilly, Shawn, Gwendolynn, Anna, Emilie, Zachary and Tyler; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his daughter Hatty Eddy; parents Francis and Florence Eddy; uncles Lloyd and Andrew Sutton; aunt Irene Roberts; and sister Shirley Dreadfulwater.
The celebration of life for Gary was held on Sept. 24 at the Juneau Tlingit and Haida Community Council Center.
Interment was Sept. 26 at Alaskan Memorial Park in Juneau.
