For many of us at Alaska Dispatch, the GCI plane that went down Monday hit us on many levels. We knew the pilot, Terry Smith. We knew Ted Stevens. And some of us were close to Dana Tindall, the GCI executive who also died, along with her daughter Corey. I'm focusing on telling you who Terry was because I was especially close to him.
Theron "Terry" Smith, 62, was my teacher, friend and mentor, as he was to many Alaskans. As every one of his friends would say, Terry was a "pilot's pilot." That is high praise. He was enormously intelligent and competent and cared deeply about doing things the right way. He is the reason I live here, fly an airplane and love to visit every village I can get to.
Terry and his wife, Terri Ellis Smith, were the first people I met when I came to Alaska in 2001. They became my closest friends, the ones I turned to for answers to all the hard questions. They were part of the many subparts of Alaska: Native and non-Native, urban and rural -- fine humans who had friends in just about every corner of the state. That was the Alaska they introduced me to -- the world's largest village. And that is the village I inhabit today. The one that allows me to get out of an airplane on any runway or gravel strip or river landing and know that I will be welcomed, just because that is the way in this state.
Terry taught me the first essential lessons to being an Alaskan: You will never be judged by who you are but by what you do. Leave every spot in better condition than you found it. When building a fire, make it small and efficient. Big flames just mean you're wasting wood. Plan to be weathered in and suspend other priorities until it is safe to continue the journey. Pack survival gear whenever you plan to be airborne. Never enter someone's house with shoes on. That is flat-out inconsiderate. (This last one actually caused him to raise his voice at me, the only time I ever heard that tone). And celebrate the beauty of this state. Get out into it and savor it. Fish, hunt, hike, photograph and cherish it all. And help everyone wherever you encounter them in need of an extra hand.
Terry was of Aleut and East Coast Anglican ancestry. He never considered himself "part" anything. He was just whole human and wholly Alaskan. He and Ted Stevens represented this same sense of "all-Alaska." Without them here, we have to remember to celebrate what binds us as people who have chosen to be the stewards of this great land, newcomers and old-timers alike. Thank and respect Native ancestry. Support tradition. Try to live by the fewest rules and delete the unnecessary ones. Stick with the basics. We are all in this place together by choice. Our differences should be small and insignificant.
Let's all try to keep some version of this essence alive in their memory. And Mr. Terry, we will try to live up to your highest standards. You were the greatest teacher I ever had.
Alice Rogoff is publisher of Alaska Dispatch. She can be reached at alice(at)alaskadispatch.com.