Robert James Haeg

Aug. 25, 1927 – April 23, 2018

Longtime Alaskan and Kasilof resident Robert James Haeg, 90, died Monday, April 23, 2018 at home.

A celebration of his and potluck life will be from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 27, 2018 at Birchwood Manor B&B, Mile 12, Kalifornsky Beach Road. Parking will be on the east side of the road and potluck on the west side of the road overlooking the Cook Inlet.

Bob was born Aug. 25, 1927 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Army from Nov. 30, 1945 until being honorably discharged on Dec. 17, 1946. He worked in construction in Minneapolis prior to moving to Alaska in 1970. He owned Haeg and Haeg Construction and subcontracted with Leonard Davis, who owned Arctic Asphalt Paving from 1970-76. He then moved to the west side of Cook Inlet and commercial fished until retiring in 2006 and moving to Kasilof.

Bob was Catholic and he was active in conservation for brown bear and salmon habitat in Chinitna Bay, Alaska. He enjoyed making homemade wine and smoked salmon to share with family and friends. He also enjoyed times spent at the coffee shop telling stories in his later life.

His family writes, “Bob had a great love for Alaska and its great outdoors filled with wildlife. People that met him, whether Alaskans or tourists, looked at him as what they would expect a longtime Alaskan would look like, with the hat he wore full of brown bear claws. Then, the stories would start which he really enjoyed telling. He had no end to those.”

“One of the highlights of his life was moving to Chinitna Bay, what he considered to be God’s country, with his wife, Mary, and stepson, David, to start a new life in the wilderness, where you lived off the land, and when the tide went out, the table was set. They lived there for nearly 30 years, and he would smile and laugh referring to it as a ‘30 year hell’ in the Bush. Bob became a Bush Pilot at 65, learning to fly his PA-12 Super Cub.”

“Bob would always say he could not have asked for a better life. He got all out of life he was looking for. He will be missed by all of his family and many friends. Rest In Peace.”

Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; parents, Edwin and Jessie Haeg; sisters, Eris Sander and Carol Swanson; stepsons, Gregory and Ronald Haeg; and granddaughter, Christine Haeg.

He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Beth Haeg; stepdaughter, Sue Clement, all of Minnesota; stepsons and daughters-in-law, Thomas and Bets Haeg of Homer, and David and Jackie Haeg of Soldotna; grandchildren, Rheanna, Tyson and Ryan Haeg all of Minnesota, Sarah Haeg of Homer, and Kayla and Cassie Haeg of Soldotna; great-grandkids, Kaden Filbelkorn, Jazspar Krulikosky and Audree Haeg, all of Minnesota, and Haylee Owen of Homer; and many other nieces, nephews and extended family in Alaska in Minnesota.

Arrangements were by Peninsula Memorial Chapel in Kenai.