Anchorage Daily News

George Inga Sr., or "Papa," as he was known to most people, died peacefully Sept. 11, 2008, in Kodiak of natural causes. He was 83.

Born May 3, 1925, to Alexander and Fedosia Inga in Old Harbor, he was one of 10 children.

Papa enjoyed a very full and active life right to the very end. Just days before his death, he was seen boating with his great-grandson near Old Harbor. He touched many lives and his presence will not be forgotten. Papa loved to do so many things and was hard pressed to sit still, even at age 83. When he turned 18, Papa joined the armed services in the 11th Air Force, now known as the Alaska Air Command, and served in Adak until 1946, when he returned to Old Harbor. As a proud veteran of the Air Force he enjoyed talking about his days in the military. He enjoyed sharing his experiences with students, community members and friends, even buying books for family members to teach them about World War II.

Friends and family from the early territorial days of Alaska knew the humble beginnings he came from and how he and his family subsisted off the land and what great respect he had for nature and all it has to offer. Papa began commercial fishing in 1942 when fishermen were paid 3 cents per fish, unlike today where commercial fish is bought by the pound. Papa commercial fished for 49 years until he retired in 1991.

Shortly after his return from Adak, Papa met his soulmate, Sophie, and they settled in Old Harbor where they remained devoted to each other for 53 years of marriage until her death in 2001.

Together they had five children, nine grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. Papa was very involved in the community and served as a board member of the Old Harbor Native Corp. for 25 years.

He was twice nominated for the prestigious Elder of the Year Award at the Alaska Federation of Natives, and received numerous regional recognitions including the Kodiak Island Awakening Bear Cultural Bearer Award for sharing his knowledge to anthropologists, archaeologists and ethnographers.

He enjoyed storytelling, teaching the Alutiiq language, sharing, subsisting, boating, WWF wrestling and bingo.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife, Sophie; brothers, Ephrim, Semmi, Alex and Peter; sisters, Annie, Barbara and Emily; children, Earnest, Jerry and George Jr.; grandchildren, Illa and George III; and great-grandchildren, Arainna, Gary, Shayln and Chelsea.

He is survived by his daughters, Carol and Dorothy; son, Michael; granddaughters, Callie, Gloria, Annette, Georgene and Glennette; grandsons, Harold Jr. and Jerry I., many great-grandsons and granddaughters; and his sisters, Polly and Sophie. In addition to the many family members, Papa had many friends and adopted "Abas" (people who had selected him as a role model) from around the state including Kodiak attorney Matthew Jamin, who said: "George Inga was equally comfortable subsisting alone in the wilderness and guiding his village corporation in the boardroom. And he was a great teacher in both venues, instructing countless children in the ways of the wild, while at the same time advising new board members to find profitable investments without losing sight of village values. We will all miss him very much."

Papa George Inga was a treasured elder, family man, husband, and teacher; he will be greatly missed and always remembered for his kind smile, loving attitude and ability to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

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