Obituary, Orin F. Piatt, 75

Orin F. Piatt, 75, died of cancer December 21, 2013 at his home in Soldotna surrounded by his family.

Piatt was born May 26, 1938 in Orofino, Idaho to Bill and Tana Piatt.

Just a month shy of his ninth birthday, his parents moved the family to Wrangell, Alaska. Taking a train to Seattle from Lewiston, Idaho they boarded a steam ship to Wrangell. One can just imagine Orin's eyes lighting up at his first sight of the ocean and it's pretty safe to assume that his lifelong love of boats was born at this time.

Working as a teenager he spent time on tugboats, fishing boats, mailboats, logging tugs and barges. In his twentieth year, he met Evelyn Nore, the woman who was to become the love of his life. In May of 1959 they married in Petersburg and settled in Eliza Harbor. Within a year they had their first child a girl, Lynn. Shortly after in 1961 they had a son, Daniel, followed by Duane in 1963. They lived for a time in Farragut Bay and then moved to Juneau. In the mid 1960s, they moved to Petersburg where they lived for seven years.

In 1972 they decided to move to the Alaska Peninsula and settled in Kenai. Orin worked in the millwork shop at Superior Building Supply which later became Spenard Builder's Supply. He learned the building trade from watching and working with carpenters, being mostly self-taught. Eventually he formed his own construction company, P and S Construction, with the aim of teaching his young sons a trade.

They lived in Kenai for the next forty-plus years, raising their children to know and serve God, seeing them marry and enjoying the births of their six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. In later years Orin would develop a real knack for finding "treasures" as he and Evelyn combed through second hand stores, antique shops and garage sales both at home and as they traveled various parts of the country. One of his great loves in recent years was cruising Prince William Sound in his little boat, "Poco."

Baptized on August 27, 1962 as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, he served his God for more than five decades. Orin took great joy in the door-to-door ministry.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Evelyn; his daughter Lynn (Allan) Casperson, Soldotna; his sons Daniel (Katherine) Piatt, Kenai and Duane (Melissa) Piatt, Soldotna; grandchildren Brandon (Ariel) Casperson, Soldotna, Jessica (Justin) Wilshusen, Kenai, Ryan Piatt, Anchorage, Adrian Piatt, Olympia, Wash., Zachary Piatt, and Eve Piatt; and six great-grandchildren, Soldotna; his brothers, Vern (Tina) Piatt, Shelton, Wash., Ben (Becky) Piatt Powhatan, Va.; and sister Loree Marlin, Torrington, Wyo.