Petersburg Pilot -

Barton Austin Sollars Jr. was born April 13, 1951 in Sitka, Alaska, to Barton A. Sollars Sr. and Carol A. Sollars. While his parents and grandparents were pioneers who called Alaska home, Barton was the first Sollars born in Alaska. Growing up in this raw and wild territory, before it was a state, instilled a wild and adventurous spirit in young Barton. He developed a strong work ethic – he worked hard and played hard.

His childhood was spent commercial fishing with his parents and three siblings. Eventually, Barton bought the family fishing vessel Bertha R from his dad. When not fishing, he spent some time welding on the Alaska pipeline and eventually, after owning the boat for many years, he sold it to weld and work construction in Petersburg and Juneau.

In 1979 he married Debra Diamond in Sitka. In the 1980s they moved with their small children to a remote logging area in Saginaw Bay, near Kake, Alaska. After he and his brother purchased a two-acre plot of land at Point Agassiz, ten miles north of Petersburg, Alaska, he spent many years sharing his time between creating a home at Point Agassiz and fishing out of Sitka or around the Aleutian Islands.

After retiring, he and Debra moved to Point Agassiz full time. Barton loved felling big trees, hunting, fishing, fireworks, the great outdoors and, most of all, his grandkids. He loved camping and trail blazing, family deer hunts and fishing. If he didn't know how to do something he tried until he figured it out. Slow and steady, he did what needed to be done. His wealth of experience and knowledge will be greatly missed.

A man of few words, Barton could come off as a bit rough on the outside, but deep down he was a gentle soul who loved his family, their animals, and the land he called home. Occasionally friends would get him telling stories and then he could talk for quite a while.

He had been battling cancer for a few years and was doing quite well when he unexpectedly passed away on November 15, 2023. He will be remembered through the legacy of knowledge he passed on to his family and that they will pass to the next generation.

Barton was proceeded in death by his parents, Barton A. Sollars Sr. and Carol A. Sollars; and brothers, Thomas and Lyman.

He is survived by his wife, Debra (Diamond) Sollars; a sister, Lorna Chappel; his children, Barton J. (Anca) Sollars, Amy (Phillip) Ward, Tabitha (Victor) Nelson, and Austin (Tara) Sollars; his niece and nephew, Tina and Jason Chappel; grandchildren, Nahjahra (Sergio) Lopez, Alexandra, Ronan, Skyelar, Zephyr, Robert, Revan, and Waylon; great-grandson Lucifer and his soon to be sibling.

There will be a remembrance event at Point Agassiz in early June. Anyone wishing to attend may contact his daughter Tabitha at 907-518-0299 or alaskanwilderness@hotmail.com