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Seraphim Ukatish
Nanwalek resident Seraphim "Kulickeq" Timothy Ukatish died Friday, May 12,
2000, at his home in Nanwalek. He was 54.
Funeral services were held May 15 at the St.
Sergius and St. Herman of Valaamo Church in Nanwalek. Father Sergie Active
officiated. Burial was in the Nanwalek Cemetery. Pallbearers included Mike
Radtke, Jeff McMullen, Sergie Moonin, Sperry Moonin Jr., Sperry Ash, and Leo
Ash.
Mr. Ukatish was born May 2, 1946, in Nanwalek
where he was raised and educated. From 1965 to 1967 he served in the U.S. Army
overseas in Vietnam. Mr. Ukatish lived in Kenai for a year in 1972 and then in
Kodiak at the St. Herman Seminary from September 1985 to May of 1986.
Mr. Ukatish helped to develop the current
writing system and curriculum for the Sugtestun language. For 18 years he worked
as a bilingual instructor teaching Sugtestun for the kindergarten through 12
grades at the Nanwalek Elementary-High School. Mr. Ukatish was a reader with the
St. Sergius and St. Herman of Valaamo Church of Nanwalek. He had received an
award from the English Bay Corporation and was the first president for the
corporation. In addition, he was part of the foundation of the Chugachmiut
non-profit organization.
Mr. Ukatish enjoyed fishing, teaching ivory
carving, and he specialized in upgrading computers.
According to the family, "Dad's last years were
an Alaskan dream; wake up, fish all day and giving to families, helping to
preserve the Sugtestun language by collecting data, documenting words and
sharing with the community, upgrading, downloading, and reviving computers while
being around the people he loved most."
Mr. Ukatish is preceded in death by his mother,
Anesia Ukatish; father, Timothy Ukatish; brother, Ben Ukatish; and sister, Annie
Tanape.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law,
Macky and Anna Ukatish of Nanwalek; daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Michael
Radtke of Nanwalek; daughter, Krissy Ukatish of Nanwalek; son, Seraphim Ukatish
Jr. of Nanwalek; brother-in-law, Herman Tanape of Nanwalek; sister, Martha
Alexander of Minto; sisters and brothers-in-law, Natalie and Vincent Kvasnikoff
and Alex and Margaret Moonin of Port Graham; grandchildren, Raissa Ukatish, Ivan
Radtke, Ephimia Wilson, Antone Ukatish, Timothy Ukatish, Larry Ukatish, Vernea
Ukatish, Natasha Ukatish and Nicolai Ukatish; godchildren, Millie Kvasnikoff,
Gordon Kvasnikoff, Leo Ash, Sperry Ash, Sonya Ash, Zoya Greene, Jesse Evans, DJ
Brewster, Quanah Brewster, Amanda Moonin, Kilann Moonin, Tony Brewster and
Samantha Moonin.
Source: Peninsula Clarion, May
26, 2000
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