TOBBEN SPURKLAND was born to Torborg Vaaland and Victor Spurkland Sr. in Stavanger, Norway, on July 22, 1940 during World War II. He grew up in Kristiansund, the son of a klippfisk (salt cod) fish processor. Tobben would enthusiastically report that they had “Fish six days a week and leftovers on Sunday.” Family summers were spent at Eikrem along the breathtaking Sunndalsfjorden on Bachelor Olaf’s farm. The children had the farm and mountains to explore, and they would spend their days on the fjord rowing their boat as they fished, swam and collected mussels.
Upon graduating from Kristiansund’s Videregaende Skole in 1959, Tobben served in the Royal Norwegian Air Force in Oslo. After attending Schous Tekniske Institutt for two years, he and two friends received scholarships to the University of Oregon in Eugene. Here, he received his master’s degree in civil engineering and met his first wife, Virginia Fisk. Tobben and Ginny moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1968, where their beautiful, red-haired daughter, Kristin, was born.
In Anchorage, Tobben joined the Nordic Ski Club. In her book “On Tracks,” Alice Tower Knapp writes, “The club embraced this lanky Norwegian who brought Scandinavian outdoor toughness and introduced Anchorage to Nordic culture with Norwegian sweaters, a thick accent and wry humor.” Tobben taught ski lessons and winter camping classes, enjoyed doing trail work, helped with ski club polka parties and later became a well-trained “Grunt” who helped put on Nordic ski races at all levels. He helped design the ski jumps at Hilltop. He was the ski club president in 1972-73, when he met and married adventure partner Tania Uminski. They raised two sons, Lars and Jan, who have contributed much to Nordic skiing in Anchorage and Homer, Alaska, as coaches and club leaders.
Tobben was a dedicated, patient father and a great role model for his children. He was easy-going, loved life and delighted in his grandsons and the Alaska outdoors. The family went hiking, orienteering, backpacking, camping or exploring on weekends.
The Norwegian culture he shared with his family and community broadened our horizons, and life was rich because of it. Frequent summer trips to Norway are among the family’s fondest memories. A highlight of these trips to Norway was a rowing trip with his brothers and nieces through hundreds of islands north of Kristiansund. They camped at boathouses along the way and enjoyed hearty meals of delicious fish soups. Between 1975 and 1977, Tobben was employed by RCA to engineer the construction of communication towers for the pump stations of the trans-Alaska pipeline. Next, he established his firm, Tobben Spurkland Engineering, specializing in wastewater management. He passed the reins of Spurkland Engineering to Lars in 2005.
In 2006, Tobben moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, to support Tania’s doctoral studies of marine biology. He directed the building of their log cabin in Ester. When Tania needed a diving partner, he became a scientific diver. Math was his forte, so he studied statistics to help her with her research. He was a remarkably selfless, kind, clever research partner. While living in Fairbanks, he became a Fairbanks Nordic Ski Club member, with the highlight of volunteering at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics at Soldier Hollow.
Tobben knew he wanted to spend his golden years in Seldovia, Alaska. An avid fisherman, he cherished any opportunity to catch or be given fish. Often, he could be found at the fish cleaning station, asking for grey cod heads and backbones to make fish stock. Conversations centered around his steadfast belief that cod was god’s gift to humanity. Playing bridge with a group of dear friends counted among his favorite pastimes. What he appreciated most were all the wonderful Seldovians he got to know, work with and play amongst.
Passionate about gardening, he always maintained three compost piles. He collected friends’ grass clippings, coffee grounds, eggshells and kitchen scraps to add to the compost. Tobben took great pride in growing delicious peas, root crops, greens, berries and flowers. He was known and appreciated for his gardening knowledge and willingness to share.
Tobben passed away on April 29, 2024, surrounded by loving family in Homer. He was preceded in death by son, Lars; parents, Victor and Torborg; siblings, Kari Overland, Sverre Spurkland, Victor Spurkland, Helga Hoyvik, Terje Spurkland; and niece, Hilde Hoyvik.