Maureen “Mo” Fredrickson, a lifelong Sitka resident, passed away peacefully on September 10, 2025, at Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. She was 64.
Born in Sitka on April 26, 1961, Mo’s love for Alaska’s natural beauty shaped her life. She found joy in the wild—bears, geese, swans, whales—and spent countless hours at Starrigavan and Harbor Mountain. In the summer, she had the TV tuned in to watch the bears of Katmai. She and her partner of 31 years, Bill Peters, rarely missed their annual Whalefest Cruise. She loved thunder and lightning storms and would turn off all the lights to get the full effect, and she would celebrate the first snow on the mountains.
Mo had a flair for the whimsical and the spooky. If it was pink, frilly, fluffy, or flower-filled, it was Mo! She loved scary movies—especially "The Birds" and "The Blair Witch Project"—and loved decorating for every holiday and season.
She attended Sitka schools and graduated from Sitka High in 1979. Mo was a citizen of Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska and a member of Shee Atika Inc. She worked at SEARHC for over 25 years.
She is survived by Bill and their four cherished kitties; her mother, Opal Olsen, of Des Moines, Washington; and her sisters: Rhonda Bowen (Mike) of Port Angeles, Washington; Robin Bergey (Guy) of Juneau; Florence Woodbury (Scott) of Portland, Oregon; and Amy Fredrickson of Des Moines, Washington.
She was beloved Auntie Mo to Matt Bowen, Wes Bowen (Mandi), Jeff Wolfe, Joel Wolfe (Jeannie), Kate Bergey, Max Woodbury, Jake Woodbury, and Aleksia Fredrickson. Her great-nieces and nephews—Karley Bowen-Wyant, Tyler Bowen, Claire Wolfe, Emma and Eli Wolfe—will forever treasure the time spent with their Auntie Mo.
She is also survived by her aunts and uncles, Virginia Travis, Connie (Jerry) Simpson, Thor and Gerard Helgesen, Judy Helgesen, Irene Fredrickson, Eleanor Kmetic and their families and sisters-in-law Mary Christoffersen (Charlie) and Linda (Jim) Walters and families.
She was preceded in death by her father, Martin Fredrickson.
Her memory lives on in the hearts of those who loved her and in the places she held dear, her family said.
A private memorial will be held later.
Memorials may be made to the Sitka Animal Shelter or Bears of Katmai.
