Jan 24, 2021

Alexander T. Polasky, known to all as Tim, was born June 9, 1946, in Canonsburg, to Mary (nee Hrcka) and Alexander Polasky. He was raised, alongside younger brother Fred, within a large extended family of loving aunts and uncles.

He graduated from Canon-McMillan High School in 1964, and from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., in 1968. Tim then went on to serve for 25 years as an engineer in the U.S. Coast Guard – a career that offered him the opportunity to travel the world.

Tim’s first tour of duty with the Coast Guard was aboard the USCGC Pontchartrain, providing support off the coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In 1971, he moved to Kodiak, Alaska, to serve aboard the USCGC Storis, which patrolled the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Tim’s love of Alaska was immediate and enduring.

While on shore leave in Kodiak, Tim met Jacqueline Gibson. They were married August 11, 1972. Their first child, daughter Natasha Anne, was born in Kodiak in 1976. Following her birth, the family left Alaska and drove across the country in a yellow Volkswagen bug to Ann Arbor, Mich., where Tim attended graduate school at the University of Michigan. He graduated in 1978, first in his class, with degrees in marine engineering and naval architecture. In Michigan, he also acquired a lifelong love of Michigan football.

The family then moved to Long Beach, Calif., and from 1978-1980 Tim served aboard the USCGC Glacier, an icebreaker supporting scientific research in the Weddell Sea of Antarctica.

In 1978, Tim and Jackie welcomed a second child, son Nicholas Alexander. The family then moved across the country to Alexandria, Va., where Tim served a tour of duty at the Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C. While living in Virginia, Tim followed in his father’s footsteps and planted a large vegetable garden, which he spoke of all his life.

In 1983, Tim at last got another assignment in Alaska, this time in Juneau. For a final time the family moved across the country, now in a trusty Volkswagen bus. In Juneau, Tim and Jackie welcomed their third child, daughter Sophia Catherine, born in 1984.

While living in Juneau, Tim served two additional tours of duty to Antarctica. From 1986-1987 he was the executive officer aboard the USCGC Glacier, and from 1987-1988 he was the executive officer aboard the USCGC Polar Sea. Both ships delivered supplies and provided support to the McMurdo Station on Ross Island in Antarctica. Tim mailed home hundreds of postcards to his three children, where he recounted his adventures in meticulous handwriting. He arrived home with hundreds of pictures of penguins on ice flows.

Tim retired from the Coast Guard in 1994 having achieved the rank of captain. His final assignment was as district inspector, which enabled him to travel all over Alaska to far flung locales, which he greatly enjoyed.

After his retirement from the Coast Guard, Tim took on his most challenging, and possibly his favorite, mission: driving a school bus for a year. His character and military sensibilities served him well – he gave two troublesome kids assigned seats at the front of the bus, but by the end of the year they were inviting him to their high school parties – invitations he did not accept. In 1995, Tim embarked on a second career with the Alaska Marine Highway System, spending 10 years providing engineering support to the ferries of SE Alaska.

After retiring for a second time, Tim enjoyed walking the beaches of Juneau with his wife and his beloved malamute huskies. He was an avid recycler, and would return from his beach walks with all sorts of abandoned treasures which he passed on to his grandchildren. He was so proud of each of his 10 grandchildren. He loved sitting by his woodstove working crossword puzzles and sudoku, both of which he did in pen.

Tim was also a fixture at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, where he attended daily Mass and engaged in lively theological debates. He was a voracious reader, and would send earmarked and highlighted articles to his children on a regular basis. His Catholic faith inspired a commitment to social justice, and he was a quiet philanthropist all his life. Tim had a sharp and quick mind, matched by a curiosity that never quit. He was a boisterous and commanding storyteller, and friends will remember for years how his voice could fill a room. Most of all, he was devoted to his wife and family, and cared deeply about providing for them. He left behind a full pantry and a neatly stacked woodshed.

Tim passed away unexpectedly Thursday, January 7, 2021.

He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline Polasky of Juneau; a brother, Fred Polasky (Maureen Riley) of Boalsburg; children Natasha (Sean) Flak of Vancouver, Wash., Nicholas (Kelley) Polasky of Juneau and Sophia Polasky (Chris Lauer) of Silver Spring, Md.; and his 10 grandchildren, Aileen, Audrey and Evelyn Flak, James, John, Zachary, Micah and Abigail Polasky, and Alois and Jacqueline Lauer.

For a boy born in landlocked Pennsylvania, he saw the world, and found a second home at sea level. Dad, we miss you. Your woodstove was well tended. Fair winds and following seas.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Tim’s name to one of the charities he supported his whole life: the Covenant House in Anchorage, Alaska. Donations can be made at https://www.covenanthouse.org.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Alexander T. Polasky, visit the Tribute Store at www.legacyalaska.com.