Gregory Golodoff
April 19, 1939-November 17, 2023
On the evening of Nov. 17, 2023, the servant of God, Gregory – Gregor, as his wife so affectionately called him – peacefully left this earthly life. Gregory was born on Attu Island in the Aleutians to his parents, Olean Horosoff Golodoff and Lawrence Golodoff. He was the last surviving prisoner of war, taken at age 3, from his hometown of Attu to Japan during World War II. After the war, the U.S. government brought him, along with his surviving family members, to the village of Atka, Alaska, where he spent most of his life. As a young man, he served his country in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany, of which he had fond memories. After he was honorably discharged, he returned to Atka.
During his 84 years of life, he served on many boards and councils in Atka, and served as Tribal President during the time the new subdivision and school were being built in the 1980s. He also served as the local Store Manager with his wife, Pauline, for many years. In addition, he and Pauline commercially fished for halibut together in a skiff that Greg built. He was living in Anchorage, Alaska, with his wife for the last five to six years prior to his passing.
He enjoyed woodworking, taking four-wheeler rides on the beach with his wife, exploring new technologies and gadgets, playing Nintendo video games and his wife’s delicious baking. Family members describe him as smart, innovative, patient, and kind. He had a progressive mindset and liked to joke. Once, in his late 70s, someone made mention of him being an Elder and he quickly responded, “who said I’m an elder?!”
Gregory is survived by his partner and wife of 49 years, Pauline Golodoff. He is also survived by his siblings, Agnes Thompson, Lawrence Prokopeuff and Teresa Prokopeuff; as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
May his Memory be Eternal.
Father Michael Oleksa
March 16, 1947-November 29, 2023
Father Oleksa served as a priest in more than a dozen Alaska Native villages across the state over his five decades in Alaska. He came to Kwethluk in 1972, where he met his wife Xenia and served as a deacon before spending time as a priest in Napaskiak.
Oleksa was born on March 16, 1947, in Allentown, Pa. He came to Alaska in 1970 from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York at the invitation of the Alutiiq village of Old Harbor on Kodiak Island.
Oleksa was a leader in cross-cultural communication in Alaska and a student of Alaska Native languages and cultures. He taught at multiple universities in Alaska and published books on Russian Orthodox history, including “Orthodox Alaska” and “Alaskan Missionary Spirituality.” He earned his Ph.D. in Slovakia in 1988, with an emphasis on Alaska Native history during the Alaska Russian period from 1741 to 1867.
Oleksa is survived by his wife and children.
We thank Father Oleksa for all the tremendous work he has done for the Unangax̂ community – Memory Eternal.
Jacob Stepetin
November 5, 1952-December 18, 2023
Obituary provided by his family: Haliehana, Jacob Mark, and Robin Stepetin, and their mother, Annette Senger.
Jacob Martin Stepetin, aged 71, of Akutan, Alaska, passed away on December 18, 2023.
Jacob was born on November 5, 1952, to Mattie and Art Stepetin in Akutan, Alaska. Jacob was an innovative Unangax̂ leader who left a long legacy of progressive change. He inspired everyone who knew him, and he is remembered as a beloved Elder, Unangax̂ leader, and culture keeper of Akutan.
Jacob was also known as a gifted community leader, a dedicated Unangax̂ advocate, a skilled fisherman, and a loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. At only 19 years old, Jacob was the first mayor of the City of Akutan. He worked dutifully and diligently to incorporate Akutan as a City in order to harness benefits, such as the raw fish tax amidst the early heydays of crab fishing in Alaska. Akutan became a superpower in the fishing industry due to the inspired leadership and dedication which Jacob displayed for many years. Jacob was an original board member for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA), the Alaska Native non-profit organization serving the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands Region for health and social services, and he served on numerous boards throughout the Aleutian Region during his lifetime.
Jacob’s work was pivotal to informing fishery conservation policy that created the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (APICDA), of which he was an active stakeholder and affiliated fisherman, and he testified on the national stage on behalf of the Aleutian fisheries. Jacob served his community as the former President of the Akutan Tribe, the Akutan Village Corporation, and the Akutan Fisheries Association. In his community roles, he masterminded the construction of the Port of Akutan, developing a small boat harbor for the community, and he retired as the Tribal Administrator for the Native Village of Akutan, where he managed a multi-million-dollar Indian Roads Reservation project through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Jacob also developed one of the most viable Tribal courts in the State of Alaska and advised statewide experts on issues of Tribal justice over the course of his tenure as Akutan Tribal President and Administrator. He provided significant direction for planning, governance, fundraising, seamanship, Unangax̂ subsistence practices, traditional foods, and cultural arts and traditions.
Jacob lived a remarkable life that was characterized by several drastic shifts in ways of living both for Unangax̂ Peoples and for residents of Alaska. To the younger generation, he was a true Old Timer and to the older generation, he was a gifted leader. Jacob told stories of his first job sealing with his father, Art, and his brothers, Sam and Peter, in the Pribilof Islands, when that was the only way to generate income for their large family. Jacob went to high school on Kodiak Island where he learned to drive a tractor, tend a ranch, and study mechanics. He went to automotive school in Chicago with his long-time best friend, the late Demetri Tcheripanoff of Akutan, where they experienced life in the big city for the first time together. He held an Associates of Science degree in Auto Diesel Mechanics, and he achieved a US Coast Guard captain’s license.
Jacob was a diplomatic leader for Qigiiĝun Unangax̂ Peoples of Akutan, and Unangax̂ and Alaska Native Peoples at large, through his years spent dedicated to Tribal governance and Tribal affairs. Amidst his work as an Unangax̂ leader, he also spent 10 years crab fishing in the Bering Sea with his brothers and friends. Jacob was passionate about serving his family but also about ensuring future generations of Unangax̂ People know who we are, where we come from, and what is important for us to keep thriving and living our Unangax̂ way of life. He enjoyed teaching his children, grandchildren, and anyone who would ask, about subsistence hunting, fishing, and surviving in the turbulent waters of the Aleutian Islands. He was a talented navigator and taught his son, Jacob, how to drive a skiff, how to travel from island to island with only a compass, and how to navigate the island passes and straits.
Jacob is remembered as a loving father, grandfather, uncle, brother, and great friend to many. He is survived by his three children, Jacob Mark, Robin, and Haliehana Stepetin. Jacob thrived in his role as Grandpa over the last decade to his surviving grandchildren Jordan, Jaxson, James, and his “Chubs,” also known as “Tato,” Jayce. Jacob is survived by his siblings Anita Pelkey, Vera Pelkey, and Art Stepetin II, and by numerous nieces, nephews, and godchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Matrona Stepetin, his father, Arthur Stepetin Sr., his brothers Sam, Peter, and Thomas, and his sisters Anna, Alice, Agnes, Pauline, Nancy, Sophie, Florence, and Jennie.
Paul Freeman
August 8, 1966-January 6, 2024
In loving memory of Paul Freeman, a dedicated member of the Frosty Fuels family from 2017 to 2024, whose recent departure has left behind a legacy of warmth and positivity in the Cold Bay community.
Paul’s journey with Frosty Fuels began in August 2017. He enjoyed the natural beauty of his surroundings and quickly became a beacon of light and camaraderie for those around him in and out of the workplace.
Social, compassionate, and deeply devoted to family, Paul made a lasting impact on Cold Bay. Actively involved in community events, his outgoing personality transformed ordinary gatherings into laughter-filled memories for everyone who knew him. Within the Frosty Fuels family, Paul’s easygoing nature and genuine support created an environment where personal and professional growth flourished.
Paul’s love story with his second wife, Melanie, blossomed during his tenure with Frosty Fuels. Their bond is a testament to his commitment to love, community, and companionship. Paul’s pride and joy extended to his children, whom he spoke of often and with great affection.
Paul will be deeply missed but never forgotten