Arthur James Gamash

Art was born on September 22, 1962 in Seattle Washington, the son of Arthur and Trudy Gamash. He passed away on December 17, 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska. From a young age Art loved to go fishing. Many good times were spent with friends fishing at Blueberry Lake in Bellevue. While working as a camp counselor on Orcas Island in his late teens, Art saw deckhands on a fishing boat at the marina and decided that's what he wanted to do. His first fishing job aboard the FV Snow Mist off the Washington Coast ended tragically as it sank in a storm. Art survived with assistance from a Coast Guard helicopter rescue. He would go on to survive the sinking of two other fishing vessels on the open seas during his career, once with a boat fire on the FV Heather Kay and once when the FV China B was engulfed by a rogue wave. Art and the crew were commended by the Coast Guard for their emergency responses. His fishing friend would say that all of the fishermen wanted to be on Art's boat because if it did sink it's likely they would survive with Art on board.

Art worked for 30 years on the Bering Sea in Alaska, long-line fishing for halibut and black cod doing a dangerous job that put food on the table for thousands. He worked mostly on the FV Valorous with the legendary Lloyd Larsen as captain.

Always a free spirit, Art lived life full-throttle. He worked hard and played hard. At the same time he touched many lives in a positive way, always there with a smile and his playful mischievous nature. He made many friends along the way and his spirit lives on in those who were blessed to know him.