Supporting Art Opportunities for Low Income Youth
Longtime Juneau resident, dedicated public servant, all-around thespian, avid co-mariner, award-winning gardener, and phenomenal chef Deborah Kathleen Smith died December 29, 2021, following treatment for lung cancer. She was 76.
Born May 15, 1945 in Rockford, Illinois, Deborah graduated from Rockford West High School in 1963. After graduating with a degree in Speech from Northwestern University in Illinois, Deborah travelled to Fairbanks to join her then-fiancé in Alaska in the middle of the winter. After arriving in a miniskirt and no boots, and after spending the winter in a dry cabin, she eventually left both the town and spouse and relocated to Anchorage. There, while rehearsing a production of Oedipus, she met the love of her life, Phil, whom she married in 1971.
After a honeymoon spent rafting down the Kuskokwim River with Phil and others, performing theater in villages for children, they settled in Anchorage, where she lived until moving to Juneau in 1984. In Anchorage, she taught theatre at the Anchorage Community College, eventually working for the State of Alaska.
After moving to Juneau, she continued her career with the State, serving as the Executive Director of the Alaska Mental Health Board as a passionate advocate for the rights of the mentally ill. In the twilight of her time with the State, she implemented the Denali Kid Care program, which expanded access to health care to more than ten thousand Alaskan children.
In her retirement she travelled, and by that we mean she needed extra pages added to her passport. She visited every continent, even sighting Antarctica from a boat. She circumnavigated South America by cruise ship, crossed Australia by train, and took the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Moscow to Beijing with friends. Along with an unreasonable amount of luggage, she brought with her her husband (usually), her children (sometimes) and friends (always) on these travels, creating life-long memories for many. She had many other adventures still planned.
She became the co-owner of a vineyard in Hungary, making bi-annual pilgrimages to tend the grapes and make wine, usually bringing along friends and family to help prune or harvest, and travel some more.
She also found time for myriad other projects: tending a patch at the Juneau Community Garden, where she (with her friend Sue Baxter) grew award-winning vegetables; donating 12-course meals to auctions for causes for which she cared; tracing her family history back to the 14th century; identifying and helping inter her uncle’s remains from a recently-rediscovered World War II bomber that crashed in Germany; boating in Southeast Alaska with dear friends; making an ungodly amount of chutney from the fruit trees on her vineyard; singing in local choirs; knitting, constantly; making theatre; and, more theatre.
In the course of her life she directed, performed in, produced, or costumed over 200 productions. Highlights of these endeavors include directing King Island Christmas, which was eventually produced at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; performing in Juneau-Douglas Little Theatre’s production of Nunsense, which won an international theater competition for best performance; serving for years as director of the Juneau Arts and Humanities’ Council annual Wearable Arts fundraiser; co-founding (along with her husband Phil) Anchorage’s Theatre Guild; serving as president of the Alaska Community Theatre Festival; and, serving as a member of the Alaska State Council on the Arts.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of nearly 50 years, Phil, and her parents. She is survived by her sister Dianna (and Tony) of Austin; son Crispian (and Jeroen) of The Netherlands; daughter Moira (and Jake) of Anchorage; grandchildren Maggie, Owen, Bien and Peter of Anchorage and Seattle; and, many treasured nieces and nephews and their families.
Deborah embraced life like few knew how, and faced life’s challenges undaunted. She sought out adventure wherever she went, and brought along as many as possible for the fun and a glass of wine. She demonstrated to us that nothing is impossible, and that attitude is everything. She is missed.
Phil Smith – a life-long Alaskan, devoted husband and father, public servant, enthusiastic mariner, amateur thespian, and long-time Juneau resident – died March 30, 2021, of natural causes at his home.
Born January 25, 1943, in Missoula, Montana, Phil arrived in Alaska on a steamship with his family later that year. Raised at various Civil Aeronautics Administration stations across rural Alaska, including Summit, Northway, King Salmon (twice) and Annette Island, his family eventually settled in Cordova in 1953, where he graduated from high school in 1960.
After a brief stint in the U.S. Army (spent mostly as a medic in France), Phil completed his bachelor’s degree in California and returned to Alaska. He began a career devoted to public service, serving first with the Rural Alaska Community Action Program in Anchorage, where he spent years as the Executive Director. In 1983, Governor Sheffield appointed Phil to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC), and he and his family relocated to Juneau. After eight years with the CFEC, Phil became the Chief Operating Officer of the Kake Tribal Corporation.
In 1995, Phil was asked to lead the National Marine Fisheries Service’s implementation of the Individual Fishing Quota program. This management regime was among the first of this kind in the nation and served as a model for individual quotas around the country. The success of the program was widely recognized; he was invited to speak at several international conferences to discuss the legislation and its implementation, and served as an expert on a United Nations panel advising Chile on its fisheries management reform efforts. He served in this role until his retirement.
In addition to his service to the state and federal governments, Phil served on the Juneau Board of Education for two terms, eventually becoming its president.
In retirement, Phil devoted countless volunteer hours to the Juneau chapter of Veterans for Peace, including serving as its president. He led the organization’s opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, worked to create and dedicate the Bishop Kenny Memorial Peace Park, and created a scholarship fund. He also enjoyed traveling the world with his beloved wife of nearly 50 years, spending time with his family and friends, and yelling at Fox News.
He was preceded in death by his baby sister Kristin, his brother Frank Jr., and his parents, Frank Sr, and Hazel. He is survived by his wife Deborah; his son Crispian (Jeroen van Dalen) and daughter Moira (Jake Metcalfe); grandchildren Maggie, Owen, Bien, and Peter; and, his sister Aleen, as well as nieces and nephews.
Phil’s unique combination of incisive intelligence, encyclopedic knowledge, and boundless love affected and inspired many. He will be deeply missed.
To Donate
Donate by credit card using the link below or make your checks payable to: Juneau Community Foundation, 350 North Franklin Street, Suite 4, Juneau, Alaska 99801. Please call us at 907-523-5450, or email info@juneaucf.org for information on donating stock, wiring funds, establishing a Fund, gifting a portion of a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA, or naming the Juneau Community Foundation in your will as a designated beneficiary.
