Anchorage Daily News

Joseph "Joe" M. Gulley, 49, a top Alaska manager for Carrs/Safeway, died peacefully Oct. 11, 2008, at his home in Eagle River, surrounded by family and close friends. Joe was diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2008 and fought a courageous battle against his cancer.

Visitation will be at 3 p.m. Friday, with a Mass of Remembrance at 4 p.m., at St. Andrew Parish, 16300 Domain Lane, Eagle River. Honorary pallbearers will be Richard Near, Glenn Peterson, Richard Watts, Harold "Flash" Gordon, Rollo Shea and Matt Shea.

Joe was born Dec. 30, 1958, in Butte, Mont., to Kenneth and Lee Gulley.

He started working in the Safeway meat department at the age of 16. By age 30, he had advanced to the post of Safeway store manager. Joe worked for various Safeway stores in Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico. He moved to Kodiak in 1989 and managed the Kodiak Safeway store for nine years.

During this time, he met Tina and her three children, Calista, Jarrod and Trevor. In 1998, Joe was given the opportunity to manage the Wasilla Safeway store, so he and Tina moved to Eagle River and were married in 1999.

That same year, Joe played a major part in the merger of the Carrs and Safeway stores by aiding in the transition of Carrs and Safeway employees. Immediately after the merger, Joe was advanced to the position of district manager and oversaw 16 of the 32 Carrs/Safeway stores throughout Alaska.

In the business world, Joe was respected by those who knew him. He was a good corporate citizen who was dedicated to his community. This dedication was shown through his past memberships with a number of community organizations, including the Alaska Litter Prevention and Recycling Board, Fisheries Marketing Board, UAA Athletic Department, YMCA-Armed Forces, American Red Cross and Kodiak Lions Club.

In Joe's spare time, he and Tina enjoyed trips to their cabin in Trapper Creek. He also enjoyed fishing with his buddies on the Ayakulik River just outside Kodiak, as well as pheasant hunting in South Dakota.

"Joe had a heart as big as the state of Alaska and had a passion for his job and life itself," his family recalled. "Joe also had an infectious personality and made friends easily everywhere he went. Joe was one of the most generous, caring and downright genuine individuals that anyone could have met. He had a great sense of humor and found the positive in the most negative situations.

"Joe was a devoted husband, loving stepfather, trusting friend and encouraging co-worker and will be dearly missed by his family as well as the thousands of friends, co-workers, and acquaintances in Alaska."

Joe is survived by his wife, Tina Gulley of Eagle River; stepdaughter, Calista Friend of Anchorage; stepsons, Jarrod and Trevor Friend of Kodiak; sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Rollo Shea of Butte, Mont.; nephew, Matthew Shea of Big Sky, Mont.; niece, Tara Schleeman of Butte; brothers and sisters-in-law, David and Martha Gulley of Saranac, N.Y., Dan and Chris Gulley of Floydsknob, Ind.; and many other nieces and nephews. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Lee Gulley, and father-in-law, Glen Evans.

In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Joseph M. Gulley are suggested to the Providence Alaska Foundation (Providence Cancer Center), P.O. Box 196604, Anchorage 99519-9948.

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