Adrian Ranu Bouchot

Sept. 15, 1960-June 7, 2017

Adrian Ranu Bouchot, 56, died at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, Fla., on June 7, 2017. His mother and his two brothers were by his side at his passing.

“We all loved him very much, and his presence in this earthly plane will be missed. He was a true innocent in the world, and his goodness and generosity to all who came in contact with him will remain in our hearts always,” his family said.

Adrian was raised in California until he was 9 years old, and then moved to Alaska with his mother Terri and his step-father Elliott. After living in the woods for several months outside of Delta Junction, his family moved to Fairbanks, where Adrian went to school at Two Rivers School, a one-room schoolhouse outside of town.

Eventually he and his folks found Homer, and in 1972, they built a cabin on Kilcher Road, where Adrian spent most of his formative years. He loved the woods, and his spirit thrived among the spruce and birch forests of East End Road. After graduating from high school, Adrian went off to ATI, a technical school in Denver, where he studied auto mechanics and engineering. He also became a master carpenter and builder. When the family moved to California, Adrian decided to relocate there as well, and soon began working in the building trades, which he continued doing for several years.

Ultimately, the siren call of Homer beckoned him, and with his new wife, he returned to the family homestead to start an auto repair business. He lived in Homer for 12 more years, and then moved once again to St. Augustine, where he went to work building a boat with a long-time friend of the family.

To know Adrian was to love him, and ultimately to be enamored of his ability to smile and laugh through any adversity. Although he struggled with inner demons throughout his adult life, he never faltered in his appreciation and joy of living. During much of his life, he worked as a mechanic, and indeed could fix anything. He loved exploring the internal workings of any mechanical object. His heart was open to nurture any stray to live and thrive with him, and he was never without a canine companion until the very end of his life.

His memory will live forever within the souls of his family: his mother, Terri Friedman Tenedou; his brothers, Ephraim Zeller and Graham Zeller; his sister, Marina; his step-father, Elliott Zeller; his aunts, Michelle and Noelle; his many cousins, and all those friends and acquaintances who were touched by his warmth and good will. He was always there for anyone who needed a hand.

Adrian will return to Alaska, his home always. He will be laid to rest on the family homestead.