Former Homer resident Patrick Edward Zahler, 87, died April 25, 2013, in Sacramento, Calif.

Born Aug. 6, 1925, in San Diego, Calif., Pat was raised in Carlsbad, Calif. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Hancock air craft carrier for two-and-a-half years during World War II.

After separation from the Navy, he worked for AT&T as a lineman. He met Marian McKenzie in 1948 in Carlsbad. They were married in 1949 in Carlsbad, where they raised their family of two daughters and two sons.

Pat was a successful general contractor in the San Diego area for 35 years.

In 1981, Pat was offered work in Cordova. He built the Cordova utilities building and several houses.

In 1982, Pat heard of work in Nome. In Nome he worked for the city of Nome and built the Nome Recreational Center, Juvenile Center and several houses. 

WAG Construction/Cooper Construction of Anchorage and Nome offered him the job as project superintendent for its work at the Port Clarence U.S. Coast Guard Station. This job was a two-year contract. When the Port Clarence project was finished, Pat was scheduled to be the project superintendent on the remodeling of the U.S. Coast Guard Communication Center at Kodiak Island. However, the Coast Guard was involved in the Exxon Valdez oil spill and canceled the project.

Pat and his wife, Marian, left Alaska and lived in Bend and Sunriver, Ore., for four years, where they built and sold two houses. They moved on to Port Townsend, Wash., to be nearer the Pacific Ocean, and again built and sold two houses.

Pat and Marian never lost the lure of Alaska. They moved from Port Townsend to Homer. They lived in Homer for 15 years. Pat’s health deteriorated to the point they decided to move to Elk Grove, Calf., to be near their two daughters.

“Pat died as he lived his life — peacefully,” his family said.

Pat leaves his wife of 63 years, Marian; two daughters, Paula Allerdyce and Elizabeth Gaby; two sons, Matthew Zahler and Edward Zahler; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.