Dwight Richard Hovland Sr.

Mar 8, 1930 -

Sep 23, 2020

Longtime Anchorage, Alaska, resident Dwight Richard Hovland Sr., 90, died peacefully of natural causes on Sept. 23, 2020, with his loving and devoted wife Aurora at his side at their home in Vancouver, Wash.

Dwight Sr. was born on March 8, 1930, in Ada, Minn., to Adolf Hovland and Zella DeWitt. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., earned his Ph.D. in soil science from the University of Minnesota, and taught soil chemistry at South Dakota State University, where he met his future bride. In 1970, Dwight moved to Anchorage to accept a position as a Soil Scientist for the U.S. Department of Interior's Alaska Joint Pipeline Office during the planning and construction phases of the trans-Alaska pipeline system, and transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) after the pipeline was completed. He married Aurora Salazar in Anchorage on Oct. 8, 1971, and together they raised two sons. He worked for BLM in Anchorage until his retirement in 2000.

Dwight was involved in community activities. He was a member and past president of the Sons of Norway, Bernt Balchen Lodge 2-46, and a longtime member of both the Filipino Community of Anchorage, Alaska Inc. and the American Society of Agronomists. He enjoyed music, genealogy, hiking and traveling.

Dwight Sr. is survived by his wife, Aurora Salazar Hovland; sons, Dwight Jr. (Amy) and Clare (Julie); granddaughters, Avery and Harper, all of Washington state; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in Minnesota.

Dwight Sr. was preceded in death by his parents, Adolf and Zella Hovland; and seven siblings who resided in Ada, Minn.

Funeral arrangements are by Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver, Wash. No memorial service is planned. Dwight will be laid to rest with his parents and siblings in Ada, Minn.