Lifelong Alaskan John N. Colberg, 71, died Dec. 23, 2002, at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage. Mr. Colberg was born April 30, 1931, in Seldovia, Alaska, to John F. and Eliza Cleghorn Colberg, and attended school there. As a young boy, he hunted and trapped with his father. He served with the 4th Regimental Combat Team, U.S. Army, at Ladd Field in Alaska from 1951 to 1953, and completed a 10-week non-commissioned officer’s leadership training course. He commercial fished for many years, seined, long-lined halibut, crab fished (trawling and crab pot), owned Linwood, Inc., and bartended for 25 years. He was a member of the Seldovia City Council and served as Mayor of the City of Seldovia. He took great pride in his family and the local children of Seldovia. He was always the first one to donate to any cause for the children, whether it was for sports, graduation, Boys and Girls Club, or Fourth of July celebrations.

Until the time of his death, Mr. Colberg served as Chairman Emeritus of the CIRI Board of Directors, and was a member since 1973. He also served eight years on the Southcentral Foundation Board of Directors, as well as on the boards for United Bank Alaska, the Seldovia Native Association, Inc., Cook Inlet Properties, Inc., and the Seldovia Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Colberg’s survivors include the love of his life, Alta Rosenbush Colberg; son and daughter-in-law Albert (“Knute”) and Beth Peterson of Old Harbor; son John “John-Jon” Colberg III of Anchorage; daughters and sons-in-law Elizabeth “Liza” and Michel Biere of Seldovia, Arlise “Arkie” and Tim Borup of Anchorage, and Alexis and Frank Nelissen of Anchorage; sister Selma Morris of Tacoma, Washington; brother Calvin Colberg of Seldovia; 12 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Mr. Colberg was preceded in death by his parents and his son Leslie “Danny” Peterson.

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