WALTER McINNES was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1931 to Bertha Hazel Andrew and Walter McInnes. He was raised in Colchester, Ontario, a village-type community near Windsor. Walter first came to Alaska in 1949 as a sailor aboard a cruise ship in southeastern Alaska. He attended Central Technical School in Toronto, Canada, where he learned to be a radio operator, and in the 1950s worked in the Canadian Arctic building the mid-Canada and DEW-line radar defense systems. In 1959, Walter came to Alaska to visit his mother and step-father who had moved to Talkeetna from Detroit, Michigan with a group called the “59’ers.” In the summer of 1960, he came to Seldovia to work in the canneries to earn money for the family homestead. He later worked as a longshoreman loading and unloading ships at the Seldovia dock. He also worked as a bartender for one year at the Knight Spot bar. Walter McInnes passed away in July 2017. He is buried in the Seldovia City Cemetery Plot #98.
Obituary
Long time Alaskan Walter “Denny” McInnes passed away in Seldovia, Alaska, with his children by his side on July 16, 2017, at the age of 85. Born and raised near Colchester, Ontario, Canada, his early years were spent with his grandparents, Mary and John Andrew, on their farm.
In his teens and 20s, he worked his way across Canada and the U.S., and held many different jobs. Walter also went to school for radio theory and operation, and worked on the DEW line in the Canadian Arctic. In 1959, Walter came to Trapper Creek, Alaska, to help his mother out with her new homestead. He was soon lured down to the fishing community of Seldovia and worked as a fisherman and on local projects like Barbara Creek bridge, the fuel tank farm, the school and the powerline project to Port Graham.
After he met and fell in love with his wife Margaret, Walter raised his family and worked for HEA as a meter reader and back up power plant operator. He was well liked by customers in Seldovia, Port Graham and Nanwalek. In 1998, he proudly became a permanent U.S. citizen. His retirement years were spent focusing on the community and he served 15 years as a Seldovia City Councilman. He loved to tell stories to locals and tourists alike - long stories.
Walter is preceded in death by his mother, Bertha Donaldson; his brother, Frasier McInnes; and his wife, Margaret McInnes. He is survived by his sister, Lois Freeman; and his children, Rebecca Weldy, Rosanna McInnes, Kristina Serezhenkov and John Andrew McInnes; and his 10 grandchildren. A graveside dedication will be performed at the Seldovia cemetery on June 17, 2018, at 12 p.m., with a memorial potluck at the Gateway Pavilion at 3 p.m. All who knew and loved Walter are invited.
is buried in the Seldovia City Cemetery in plot 98. The cause of death is unknown.