Obituary

Jesse Robert Zaugg, 34, died June 9, 2018, in a vehicle accident on Seward Highway outside of Anchorage.

He was born Aug. 28, 1983, in Ketchikan.

He attended primary school in Ketchikan, and graduated from Ketchikan High School in 2003.

Mr. Zaugg was interested in the culinary program during his last years in high school, and attended the culinary program at the University of Alaska for one year in 2003-04 before returning to Ketchikan. He worked as a cook at several locations in Ketchikan, including Salmon Falls Resort and Cape Fox Lodge.

“Cooking was his passion,” his family writes.

He was accepted into the AVTEC Industrial Electricity Program in 2016, and, after completing the program in July 2017, worked in that field.

Mr. Zaugg resided in Anchorage after moving there from Ketchikan in 2016.

In addition to cooking, he enjoyed snowboarding, skating and spending time with his children.

“He took a great deal of family kidding about his level of excitement when his kids were born,” his family writes, also noting that his favorite saying was: “Living the dream.”

“He was our 'blond,' sometimes a bit forgetful, but always with a good heart,” his family writes, “He was kind, smart and had a wonderful sense of humor.”

Mr. Zaugg was preceeded in death by his father, Rick E. Zaugg; grandfathers, Edward R. Zaugg and Billy L. Burns Sr.; grandmother, Dorothy (Burns) Orcutt; and uncle, Billy L. Burns Jr.

He is survived by his mother, Jill M. Zaugg of Ketchikan; step-father, Thomas A. Thomas of Ketchikan; daughter, Shayne Penelope Rose Zaugg; son, Noah Henry Edward Zaugg; mother of his children and best friend, Sara Dawn White, all of Washington state; brother, Richard E. (Sheila Pregnall) Zaugg of Washington state; sisters, Laurel (Joseph) Prince of Florida, Michelle (Erik) Ludeks of Washington state; aunt, Lynda Zaugg of Ketchikan; grandmother, Beverly J. Zaugg of Ketchikan; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

At his daughter's request, a celebration of life will be in August, with the date to be announced, at his childhood home at 6146 Roosevelt Drive.

Mr. Zaugg's remains will be interred in the family crypt at Bayview Cemetery.