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Daniel "Dan" McConkey
Daniel "Dan" McConkey, 59, died on April 29,
2015, suddenly and unexpectedly of natural causes in Anchorage, Alaska.
 Dan
was born on May 15, 1955, in Athens, Tenn., and moved to Paramount, Calif., as a
young child. He joined the Army and was assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska, in
1973, where he fell in love with the mountains and stayed.
Dan met his wife, Marie Martone, in 1976, and
they married in 1981. He was a beloved father. His family will remember his love
of the outdoors, vinyl records, unusual Craigslist finds, his loquaciousness and
his intolerable pranks.
An outdoorsman, Dan's adventures included
skiing, ice climbing, hiking and fishing. His mountaineering pursuits included
two expeditions to Mount McKinley. Dan also enjoyed riding his Harley, expanding
his sense of adventure to Alaska's highways.
After Dan's military service ended in 1976, he
worked in the aviation industry as a loadmaster before getting a degree in
Aviation Administration at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. He was an A&P
mechanic for Northern Air Cargo and Seair Alaska Airlines and later joined his
wife in her family's business, A.T. Publishing & Printing, in sales and
marketing and as manager of ASAP Printing.
Dan continued his mechanic work as a hobby and
enjoyed restoring cars. Dan was known for generously helping others, always
willing to assist friends and family with car repairs. Dan was most known for
his ability to engage, or corner, everyone he met with his lively stories. His
conversations would range from past adventures to a part he needed to obtain for
his latest car restoration project. His conversation will be greatly missed.
Dan was preceded in death by his mother, Lee
McConkey; and his father, Ralph McConkey. He is survived by his wife, Marie
McConkey; daughters, Regina McConkey, Danielle McConkey and Shurrie Benyosef;
son, Anthony McConkey; sisters, Sharon Krikoran and Sarah McConkey; brothers,
Ralph McConkey and Mike McConkey; granddaughter, Emma Benyosef; and his husky
mix, Togo.
Funeral services will be at Our Lady of
Guadalupe at 3 p.m. on May 15, 2015. A celebration of life at the Alaska
Aviation Museum will be held at 7 p.m on the same day.
Published in Alaska Dispatch News on May
8, 2015
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