Nils Petersen Sara Nov. 19, 1947 – April 10, 2020

Nils Sara was born in Bethel, Alaska, on Nov. 19, 1947, to Martha and Clement N. Sara. He graduated from Bethel High School in 1966. He joined the Navy and served in Vietnam, patrolling the rivers on the Mekong Delta in a PT boat. He passed away from natural causes.

Nils was intellectually gifted, teaching himself to read at age 4. His lifelong love of reading gave him an encyclopedic knowledge on an array of subjects. The insight he acquired from his study made him an interesting and witty conversationalist; everyone who knew him enjoyed talking with him.

He loved music and was a talented self-taught guitar player, able to play along with any song he heard on the radio. He also was a skilled photographer and a published poet. He loved the outdoors and often talked about his favorite place, Golden Gate Falls up the Kisaralik River, which was the site of his grandfather’s cabins and huge reindeer coral. He was very proud of his Sami and Yupik heritage.

Nils was a father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. He is survived by one daughter, Rebecca Sara-Staatz; son-in-law Sunny Staatz; grandchildren, Eve, Leondre and Benjamin of Mt. Vernon, Wash.; and two sisters, Martha (Fred) Jack of Wasilla and Rose (Lou) Mower of Nampa, Idaho. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clement and Martha Sara; brothers, Clement Morten and Luther; and sister, Marita Snodgrass. He was always a gentleman and will be greatly missed as he moves on to a better place where he can finally be at peace, joining his loved ones back home in our Heavenly Father’s care.

A memorial will be held in Bethel, after the pandemic. A notification will be published.