Arthur Dewey Tilgner, MD

Arthur Tilgner was born January 21, 1936 and passed away May 6, 2026.

Art was born in South Dakota and spent many years of his youth in the Black Hills. He grew up hunting and fishing and reading about the outdoors, especially Alaska. With encouragement from his grandmother, he pursued medical school and became a doctor. He finished a residency in General Surgery and began his career in Denver, CO. An opportunity presented itself in 1971 to become a rural physician in Alaska and so he accepted this, as it was his dream, and moved his family to Cordova, AK. He served as the only physician for many years and raised his family there. He lived out not only his professional dream but his personal, fishing, hunting, and flying small aircraft. After 20 years, he moved to Anchorage and then Ninilchik serving as flight surgeon. He created a unique smoke salmon business with his family and produced that product for many years before retiring to Wasilla, AK.

He is survived by his wife Joanne, sons Les, Eric, Theron, Mike, Robert and Kris and daughter Lisa.