Obituary: Lawrence James Haugen, 74

Larry Haugen was born along with his twin, Edward, on August 20, 1950 to Ruby (Simpson) and Ernie Haugen in Petersburg, Alaska. He was a lifelong Alaskan. He attended elementary and secondary school in Petersburg, graduating in 1969. His bent was to be outdoors. He worked summers seining and spent his winters trapping in Duncan Canal.

When the Alaska pipeline construction began he moved north and spent several years working on the pipeline until he was badly injured in a construction accident. He briefly attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, but Larry was an outdoorsman and the wilderness called. He answered by trekking into the bush near the north border of Denali Park where he eked out a subsistence life for a few years before returning to Petersburg, where he could live in the family cabin at Keene Channel and make a modest living fishing halibut and Dungeness Crab from a skiff, pulling his gear by hand. When his mother wanted to see him, she'd send a muskeg message over local public radio station KFSK telling him when to pick her up from the dock at Papke's Landing.

Much of Larry's free time was spent exploring Duncan Canal – its geography, flora and fauna. An avid birder, he decided to document bird life in the area. That documentary process developed into a wide range of writing. He left behind boxes of hand-typed poetry, short stories and commentaries on the Bible. Larry was a man of faith and never shy about reminding people that Jesus of Nazareth was the ultimate basis for life in this world and the next.

Health issues prompted a return to civilization. He adjusted well to life at Mountain View Manor and enjoyed his last years there. After a recent hospitalization, Larry passed away peacefully at the Petersburg Medical Center on July 3, 2025. His ashes will be returned to his beloved Duncan Canal.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his twin brother, Edward of Mesa, Arizona; sister, Julie Haugen of Petersburg; nieces, Heidi Capua of Portland, Oregon, and Ruby Brinkman of Juneau, Alaska; nephews, Erik Haugen of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Angelo Capua of Juneau, Alaska.

No services are planned at this time.