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John Polis, Sr.
John Polis Sr., 81, former owner of a hotel and a bar in Wasilla, died Oct. 29
at Our Lady of Compassion Care Center. A funeral service will be held at 2:30
p.m. Wednesday at the Assembly of God Church on Century Road in Wasilla. The
Rev. Paul Riley will officiate. A visitation will precede the service at 2 p.m.
Mr. Polis was born Dec. 23, 1906, in Laurion, Greece. He moved to the United
States when he was 3 years old and came to Alaska in 1930. In the '30s, he
worked for the Alaska Railroad in Summit, the Kennicott copper mine, and then
moved to the Matanuska Valley. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
In 1953 he purchased the Wasilla Bar and also opened Polis' Lakeside Hotel on
the Parks Highway. He did both bartending and cooking at his businesses until
his retirement in 1973. He then spent time woodworking, creating bird houses,
bird castles and bird caches, cradles for his grandchildren and gun cabinets. He
also enjoyed hunting, fishing, working in his vegetable garden and growing
roses. Mr. Polis was one of the first Wasilla council members and was a lifetime
member of the Wasilla Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9365. He was also a member
of the Elks Lodge 1842 and Pioneers of Alaska Igloo 31.
He leaves his sons, Pete and John Jr., both of Big Lake; his daughters, Kathie ,
of Anchorage, Athena Berry, of Palmer, and Hellene , of Wasilla; his brother,
James, of Longview, Wash.; his sisters, Angela, of Anchorage, Mary Wilson, Anna
Pappadis, Joy Goodwin and Helene Heacock, all of Washington; and nine
grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 36 years, Jean.
Following the funeral, a graveside burial service will be held at Wasilla Aurora
Cemetery with the VFW Post 9365 officiating. Pallbearers will be Carl Wilbur,
Greg Holland, Walt Harris, Frank Bush, Gene Corbin and Jim Merchant. Local
arrangements were by Kehl's Palmer Memorial Chapel.
Source: Anchorage Daily News November 1,
1988
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