Alice Vavalis
Obituary
Longtime Juneau resident Alice Jackson Vavalis died Oct. 12, 2007, in Juneau. She was 91.
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Born Aug. 15, 1916, to Lottie Kasco in Haines, she was adopted by her mother's husband, James Jackson. Her natural father was Chief Jim Boss of the Yukon Territory.
She was a member of the Raven-Sockeye Clan of the Raven House in Haines. Her Tlingit name was Sa kweit.
She married John George Vavalis on Sept. 15, 1933, at the Salvation Army Church in Juneau. The couple moved to Tenakee after the wedding, then moved back to Juneau two or three years later.
In Juneau, the couple purchased the Cottage Apartments on West Seventh Street, lived there and started a family. In the summers, the couple subsistence fished.
Family said she was well known for her bead work and enjoyed picking berries, canning salmon and making blueberry preserves. She served as president and treasurer of the Alaska Native Sisterhood and was a lifetime member of ANS. She was also a lifetime member of the VFW Women's Auxiliary, where she served as treasurer for 17 years.
She was a 54-year cancer survivor.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1973; brothers, Fred and Ned Boss, and Dave Kasco; daughters, Maude and Loretta Bertha, who died in childhood; and daughter, Dorothy "Lulu" Enbusk, in 2003.
She is survived by her daughters, Lee (Wayne) Hoffmann, of Ocean Shores, Wash., Catherine (Jerry) Moore, of Sierra Vista, Ariz., Shirley (Miles) Ramsdell, of Juneau, Jean Vavalis, of Juneau, Helen (Jim) Russell, of Spokane, Wash., Madeline (Bill) Morris, of Juneau, Loretta Jane Vavalis, of Juneau, Geri (Bob) Anderson, of Juneau, Bernice Cranston, of Juneau, Sharon (Erling) Olsen, of Juneau, and Christine Vavalis, of Juneau; son, John Vavalis, of Juneau; 119 grandchildren and great-grandchildren; 14 great-great-grandchildren; extended family, including the Boss family, of Whitehorse, the Paddock, Cesar and Marks families, of Juneau, Nathan and Nancy Jackson and Ida Peters.
A memorial service will be at 7 p.m. Monday at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. A graveside burial for immediate family will be Tuesday at the Alaskan Memorial Park.
Honorary pallbearers are Oscar Olsen, Johnny Marks, Tommy Paddock, Ray Paddock, Kermit Cesar, Niles Cesar, Kenny Cesar, Eric Olsen, Al McKinley, Len Sevendy, Fred Hopkins, Ray Peck, Tuffy Boss, David Katzeek, Eunice Akagie, Marcello Quinto, Marietta Hockins, Beverly Brisco, Katherine Goade, Ella Fortin and Marilyn Wieting.
Pallbearers are James Vavalis, Chuck Gordon, Nick Gordon, Jason Murdoch, Robert Englehart, Rick Vavalis, John Mason and Jim Mason.
Memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army.