Gary Wayne King Sr.

May 24, 1930 -

Sep 8, 2020

Alaska pioneer, sportsman and prominent businessman, Gary Wayne King Sr., age 90, passed away on Sept. 8, 2020. He was born on May 24, 1930, in St. Louis, Mo., the son of a union painter, who painted his way to Alaska as the Alcan Highway was built during World War II.

A 1948 graduate of Anchorage High, Gary married his high school sweetheart, Carol M. Polsky. In the living room of a small house that they built near the corner of Fairbanks Street and Fireweed Lane, he mounted 100 pairs of Head skis for the military ski area at Arctic Valley. This ski sale began what became Alaska's largest and longest-running, family owned and operated sporting goods business, Gary King's Sporting Goods, 1950 to 2000. An avid skier, hunter and fisherman, he introduced not only his family but thousands of Alaska families to the great outdoors. As founder of Gary King's Ski School, he taught generations of Alaskans the sport of downhill skiing. He was instrumental in bringing the 1963 World Championships to Alaska, putting Mt. Alyeska on the map as a world skiing destination. Gary coached the Alaska Junior National Ski Team for multiple seasons, culminating with the 1970 national event being held at Mt. Alyeska.

Mr. King was preceded in death by his parents and older brother, Joseph. He is survived by his five sons, Michael, Gary Jr. "Butch," Timothy, James and Gary W. King III; two daughters-in-law, Kathleen and Adrienne King; and stepdaughter, Lisa Unser King; as well as eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; three ex-wives; and his faithful sweetheart and caregiver, Kathryn Knickrehm of Eagle, Idaho. His ashes will be buried with his parents, Joseph Michael and Fern Rose King, at Angelus Memorial Cemetery on Klatt Road in Anchorage.