Obituaries

Bill Hjort died peacefully at home surrounded by his devoted and loving family following a long battle with cancer.

     Bill was born in Cordova, Alaska on October 21, 1941.  Raised in the village of Chenega by his grandparents Steve and Anna Vlasoff, he attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka.  Upon graduation, Bill served two years in the United States Army.  When discharged, he remained in Seattle where he worked as a painter.  A favorite memory was of painting a leg of the Space Needle. 

     Cousin Ray Vlasoff talked him into returning to Cordova to fish commercially, first gillnetting then seining.  He loved being on the water, where his hard work, perseverance, and passion for a job well done made him a successful fisherman and well-liked captain of many fishing vessels, most recently the “Cat Bil Lu” and “Hamakua”.

      He honed his skill as a woodworker and craftsman building boats in Ballard, remodeling his home in Edmonds and ultimately building the home he and his wife Cindy shared in Cordova.  From a perfectly executed tile job to a finely crafted cribbage board, Bill could build anything he set his mind to.  As one of the youngest fluent Aleut-speakers to remain, he was integrally involved in the Chenega Cultural Language Preservation Program. 

     As a strong believer in the Orthodox faith, Bill was truly delighted when Father Alexei Knagin moved to Cordova. He enjoyed singing in the choir and making the other choir members laugh at inopportune times.  Bill loved smoking fish and perfected the art over the years by trying different things.  One of his favorite fall rituals was picking high-bush cranberries and making his sought-after cranberry liqueur.  His many talents and wealth of knowledge will be greatly missed.

     Bill is survived by his wife, Cindy, daughters Catia (Frank and granddaughter Chloe) Gavigan, Billie Hjort and Glenora Allen, mother Maggie Totemoff, brothers Jim and Darrell Totemoff, Aunt Margaret  Borodkin, extended family and many, many friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in Cordova, Alaska, where funeral services were held on Monday, January 25, 2010.