William Ernest Boehl

      Douglas resident William Ernest (Bill) Boehl died Oct. 1, 2000, in his home.
      He was born Dec. 11, 1914, in Orofino, Idaho, to Lewis Christian Boehl and Roxie Gleason Boehl. The family settled in Longview, Wash., where he spent most of his school years. He graduated from Longview High School in 1933, then studied forestry at the University of Washington.
      Boehl married Lyle Meloda Andrews in Longview in 1938.
      From 1942 to 1945, he helped build Army-Air Force bases in Alaska. In 1945, he moved his young family from Longview to Douglas and began a boat-building business. In the 1960s, he phased out boat-building and turned his talents toward general contracting. He formed a new company Island Builders, and during the next 20 years his company built many Douglas and Juneau area homes and commercial structures.
      He served his community, territory and state for many years through active participation in local and state politics. He was mayor of Douglas for nine terms and served as a member of the first territorial Real Estate Commission and the First State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
      He was a charter and life member of the Douglas Lions Club, a life member of the Juneau Elks, Mt. Juneau-Gastineau Masonic Lodge and Juneau Chapter Order of Eastern Star.
      He was a lifelong, avid fisherman and hunter. He particularly enjoyed fishing and moose hunting on the Taku River. In the early 1970s, he and his wife built a cabin on their property on the Taku.
      He is preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Travis Robertson of Skandia, Mich., his son and daughter-in-law Richard and Barbara Boehl of Tracyton, Wash., sister Louise Brown of Sacramento, Calif., two grandchildren, David Boehl of Bellevue, Wash., and Susan Metcalf and three great-grandchildren, Ricky, Robby and Kate Metcalf all of Lakeville, Minn.
      A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Douglas Community Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 21836, Juneau, 99802, or Hospice and Home Care of Juneau, 3200 Hospital Dr., Juneau, 99801.





Transcribed by Jo Frederiksen, 2014