Family and friends will celebrate Gates Haddock's life on what would have been his 50th birthday, New Year's Eve, at 2 p.m. at the American Legion, followed by a potluck. "He could not eat for 15 months because of his cancer treatments, and he so enjoyed potlucks," wife and devoted caregiver Susan Haddock said. Gates died Dec. 10 at Bartlett hospital in Juneau of a pulmonary aneurysm, as a result of cancer treatments.

Dec. 31 was also the couple's wedding anniversary. They were married at the Haines Presbyterian Church on New Year's Eve 1999. "That way he'd never forget," Susan said.

Gates Haddock was born Dec. 31, 1967 in Irving, Texas to Alvi Morris Haddock and Judith Elizabeth Krug. His father was in the Coast Guard. He grew up in Racine, Wis., where he attended trade school in carpentry, roofing, and concrete work. In 1995 he and his stepfather, Dave McDermaid, drove a tow truck to Alaska. They got off the ferry in Haines, planning to head north for work, and were smitten. "Haines fit Gates," who was an outdoorsman that valued independence and wide-open spaces, Susan said. The rest of his family followed.

He fished commercially, worked at the Motorcycle Shop and for contractors both locally and out of town. He liked to hunt, fish, shoot and reload, and cut firewood.

"Gates was a go-getter," Haines Uglys club "brother" Dave Routh said, and a "big strong guy." He was a founding member of the club and two-term president. Routh credited Gates with helping to moving the Uglys toward community service, first as security for the Southeast Alaska State Fair, then fundraising for scholarships and helping residents in need. He built the barbecue grill for the Uglys' fair booth. "When some of us wanted to quit the booth he said 'no way.' He loved that stuff, and Gifts for Grubs at Christmas, he loved doing it all. He was a great guy. You wanted to be like him."

Gates was diagnosed with lymphoma when his now teenage daughters were babies and Susan's other daughter was in grade school. "Gates was my partner in all things, and it was a gift to raise children with him. Due to his illness he got to have a lot of time with his kids. He brought us all joy, and in a household full of estrogen, some balance," she said.

He spent the last four years working to make the family's summer cabin at Mosquito Lake into a full-time home. "This was his dream," she said. "He didn't want to leave us with this until we knew what to do. He was so patient, he taught us how to use power tools and cut firewood. He'd stand in the yard with his IV pole and direct us," Susan said.

In addition to Susan, and daughters Marissa and Miranda Haddock and Cami Fullerton, he leaves granddaughter Jenessa McCall, mother Judith McDermaid, and siblings Jackie Swift, Alex Haddock, Stephan Brower, Mercedes Hansen, David McDermaid, and Jae Lampkins, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and his black Lab Max.

Donations will be gratefully accepted by the Haddock family at the First National Bank of Alaska, Haines branch.