Obituary: Marion Jay Neyman, 83

Marion Jay Neyman died Sunday, July 6, 2014, in his hometown of Wrangell with family by his side.

He was born Feb. 19, 1931, in Burley, Idaho, to Dorothy and Virgil Neyman. The family moved to Wrangell, Alaska, in 1937 when Marion was six.

As a kid, he and brother, Martin, ran a trap line for mink in the winter, rowed a double-ender out to Elephant's Nose to fish for halibut and rode their bikes out to Pat's Creek to camp and fish for trout, among other pursuits.

In high school Marion did well on the basketball team and in band and choir. All were interests that he maintained throughout his life. He played piano, trombone saxophone, guitar and ukulele. He wouldn't miss a Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball game. His son, Jeff, went to college at Gonzaga.

Marion graduated high school in 1950 and attended Southern Idaho College of Education in Albion for a year. He then attended Idaho State at Pocatello before enlisting in the Navy in 1952. He was an IC specialist electrician assigned to the USS Epperson sent overseas to fight in the Korean War.

He was discharged in 1957 and returned to Wrangell to take over operation of the Marine Bar his parents had purchased and later sold. He also ran a shrimp cannery, delivered mail from the ferry to the Post Office and worked as a bartender for a few years, but fishing was his first and primary love.

Marion owned an unnamed halibut boat, then the Elizabeth, the Tippy, the Morene and the June Rose. He mostly trolled for salmon and fished for halibut.

He retired in 2008 at age 77 after a 50-year career on the water. His favorite activity in recent years was driving through the boat haul-out yard, watching the lift at work and all the vessels getting patched up to be returned to sea. Or he could be found puttering on a household repair project, in the kitchen or with a deck of cards in his hands.

Marion was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and Virgil, and son, Virgil Neyman.

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Barbara Neyman of Wrangell; children with his first wife, Doris - Joann Creed and Cheryl Neyman; children with his second wife, Ethel - stepdaughter, Jackie Bell of Juneau; stepdaughter, Julie Goodrich Sparks of Fairbanks; and Jayanne (Jay) Scott of Tumwater, Wash.; children with Barbara - Jeffrey (Jennifer) Marion Neyman of Spokane, Wash.; and Jennifer Jay Neyman, of Kenai; siblings, Martin (Marianne) Neyman of Hermiston, Ore.; Alta (Steve) Carter of Lewiston, Idaho; Arlen (Maxine) Neyman of Wrangell, and Alysse (Bob) Maxand of Wrangell; grandchildren, Nick, Alex, Nicole, Megan and numerous others; and several great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, cards may be sent to the family at P.O. Box 558, Wrangell, AK 99929. A scholarship donation for Wrangell students interested in the arts will be made in Marion Neyman's name.