Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

Friends and family will gather at New Hope Church on Mosquito Lake Road at 11 a.m. Saturday to celebrate the life of longtime Haines resident John Marquardt, who passed this week from cancer, at age 66.

Marquardt was born a twin on Oct. 29, 1952 in Lodi, California to John and Lorraine Marquardt. In recent conversations, he recounted a life full of challenges but enriched by close friends and outdoor adventures.

When John was five years old, he fell onto the metal dragon horns of a park sculpture, splitting his head open. He said that was the first time he should have passed away. "Throughout my whole life, experiences like that happened pretty much on a yearly basis."

His father worked for the rocket launchers at Vandenburg Air Force Base. During childhood, the family moved 21 times in 14 years, but Marquardt formed a core of close friends whose bond became lifelong. The "Coyote Club" included "Wild Coyote" John, his "Timberwolf" twin Jim, and "Little Coyote" Cathy, their younger sister. John tattooed his kinship with "Wile E. Coyote," the cartoon character repeatedly cheating death, on his arm.

As youths, John and Jim excelled in gymnastics and were avid bow hunters. They found solace in the outdoors. During expeditions, they would discover dinosaur bones, marine animal skeletons and artifacts. By the time they were teenagers, they had a real passion for archaeology, paleontology, anthropology, and Native American culture. As John recalled, they joined the UCLA Archaeology Society, and gave lectures to fellow members.

On their own at a young age, the Marquardt boys made a name for themselves, working every job possible, "even for a dollar an hour," John said. At age 16, he was hired by the Calabasas Plumbing Co., then moved on to the larger Sketchley Mason Plumbing Co, where he soon became head of the commercial crew.

In 1972, while working in Southern California, he met and married Geraldine Kroviak and started a family. By 1980, discouraged by the rising crime rate in Thousand Oaks, the family made the move to Haines, where Jim Marquardt had settled. Word that a plumber was coming to town spread and when he got off the ferry, there was a line of people waiting for him to fix their plumbing, Marquardt said.

The couple purchased land at 26 Mile Haines Highway and built a home. It was a family affair, with eight children chipping in to construct the first three-story cordwood house in Haines, dubbed "Marquardt Mansion."

John's work days would begin at five in the morning and often end at two a.m. the next day. His work expanded all the way up from the end of Lutak Road to the US Border Station, and covered the whole area of Haines. It was a challenge because, for many years, he had no telephone. Everything was done over listener personal, and Norm Smith, disc jockey for the KHNS radio station became John Marquardt's de facto Horizon Plumbing receptionist.

Marquardt's work as a plumber was rarely interrupted, except for pauses to go commercial longline fishing with his brother and moose hunting for the family of 10 in the fall.

In 1984, John and Jim were hunting up the Kelsall. They were separated when John climbed fifty feet up an old, huge cottonwood tree, leaving his rifle at the bottom. As he reached for the string to pull his rifle up, the branch broke beneath him. He plummeted head-first to the ground. Jim heard John's three pistol shots and had to swim across a lake to find John crawling in the grass. He got him to town only to find the doctor was moose hunting. He was medevaced to Juneau with internal bleeding, two punctured lungs, a split sternum, and all the ribs torn off the left side of his spine.

The pastor said his last rites, but John, again, beat the odds. He was determined to work hard to regain his strength so he could meet his responsibilities and provide for his family.

In 1986, tragedy struck with the death of his daughter, Jessica, in a highway accident. The loss was a defining moment for the family, Marquardt said. His marriage did not survive.

Nine years ago, Denise Sherman asked her neighbor if he had time in his busy schedule to put a roof on her outhouse. Marquardt was happy to help. After more than enough trips to finish an outhouse, it was apparent this was more than a business call. Denise and John fell in love and were married in 2014.

The couple worked side by side to build their home, and enjoyed other outdoor pursuits as well. Hiking, hunting, berry picking, mushroom hunting and tree cutting were shared by the pair, which Marquardt said brought him much happiness.

"John was a great friend and mentor to my two boys, Walker and Parker, and I got to be great friends to his children," Sherman said.

Marquardt was there for her during her treatment for a brain tumor, and she was by his side throughout cancer treatments.

Marquardt continued to work as his health declined. There are countless stories of him jumping in to save the day, with never a concern for himself. "John was an angel, always helping those in need, never asking for anything in return," Sherman said.

Pioneer Bar owner and longtime friend Christy Tengs Fowler said, "There is no place I can look in our home or business where I don't see the hand of John Marquardt."

Roger Schnabel of Southeast Roadbuilders said Marquardt was not just a professional who could be counted on, but a friend as well. "He was special and I will miss our many discussions and time together. I feel the loss and void."

Many will feel the loss and void. Commonly heard in Haines, Alaska has been, "Better call John Marquardt." He was known to always answer the call.

Once again, John answered the call, passing peacefully in his upper valley home on Thursday, September 19, 2019, with Denise at his side.

Marquardt is survived by his wife Denise Sherman, sons Adam, Jed, Luke (Symaron), Nik and Daniel Marquardt, Parker and Walker Blair; daughters Sara Duffy-Webb (Nygel) and Ari Marquardt (Max); mother Lorraine Jones; sisters Cindy Hardegree (Howard) and Cathy Houlberg (Keith); brother Jim Marquardt (Tuula); six grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Saturday's celebration of life begins 11 a.m. at New Hope Church on Mosquito Lake Road. Residents are invited to bring a dish and a story to share.

Cards and letters may be sent to Denise Sherman, HC 60 Box 2840, Haines AK 99827.