Jerome E. Hallberg

Jerry Hallberg died peacefully at home from complications associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on July 4, 2007, with Pam, his wife of 37 years, and daughter Jamie at his side. During his three-year journey with ALS aka Lou Gehrig’s disease, he showed his family and friends his character as a person of strength and courage. He will be remembered for his love of fly fishing and the great outdoors, for his humor, and as a humble and honest man who was a loving, caring, and giving husband, father, brother, uncle and friend. His humor and guidance are memories for his daughter and the many other young people that his life touched.

Jerry was born on Oct. 30, 1946, in Amery, Wis., and raised on the family’s 200-acre dairy farm in Balsam Lake, Wis., where hunting, fishing and trapping were a big part of his youth. The seventh of eight children, he was the first to be born in a hospital, and the last sibling to attend the nearby one-room schoolhouse before they all went to town for school. He graduated from Unity High School in 1964.

Jerry was in the Army from 1966-68 and had a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam in 1966-67 as a helicopter door gunner. Jerry married Pam Spaulding on Aug. 29, 1970, in Siren, Wis. They lived in River Falls, Wis. , where Jerry attended the university for the next four years. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Jerry and Pam sold most of their worldly possessions, packed up their newly acquired truck and in June 1974, drove to Alaska where they did not have jobs and did not know anyone, but they had youth, hope and optimism on their side.

Jerry had two short jobs with the tour industry and as a carpenter before he began working for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game in January 1975, landing his dream job as a sport fish biologist. Jerry had a 24-year career with the Sport Fish Division where he camped and fished on lakes and rivers across Alaska.

In 1977, the Hallbergs built their own log home on Risse Road outside of Fairbanks. In 1986, they built a cabin on the Salcha River where a lot of memorable family time has been spent during the past 20 years. In October 1987, Jerry and Pam were blessed with an addition to their family when their daughter Jamie was born. Jerry said the birth of their daughter had made his life complete. While working and being a parent, Jerry was also active as a volunteer at Jamie’s school going on field trips and volunteering when her Girl Scout troop needed help from dads.

Jerry, an outdoorsman, felt fortunate to have hunted, fished and trapped extensively while living in Alaska and had a great appreciation for all of God’s creation. He wanted to be remembered as a dad that played catch, was a master pilot of the tire-swing, taught one-match fires, and took his daughter camping, hunting and fishing.

After retiring, Jerry helped his friend Howie move the Alaska Fly Shop to its new location on University Avenue, then he helped unpack, and it evolved into his dream retirement job where he continued to build on his collection of fly rods and equipment. But that was halted when ALS stilled his hands.

Jerry was formally diagnosed with ALS in February 2005. He was the first Alaskan with ALS to attend the national ALS advocacy conference in Washington, D.C. in May 2005. He was also featured on a local segment of the 2005 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for ALS awareness. In spite of his illness, he continued to live life to the fullest and enjoyed each new day as he and Pam took a recent six-month tour of the Lower 48 visiting family and friends in their wheelchair-accessible van.

Jerry was a member of the Midnight Sun Fly Casters, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, National Rifle Association, Tanana Valley Sportsmen’s Association, Alaska Outdoor Council, Salcha River Property Owners and the American Legion.

Jerry was greeted in heaven by his parents, Clarence and Helen (Larson) Hallberg, and his brother, Gary Hallberg.

Left to carry on until they are reunited in heaven are his wife, Pam, and daughter, Jamie, both of Fairbanks; brothers, Doug, Stu, Tom (Bonnie), and Gene, all of the Balsam Lake, Wis. area; sisters, Darlene (Dorance) Holmberg of Frederic, Wis., Bonnie (Oscar Venegas) Thoreson of Alhambra, Calif.; father- and mother-in-law, Earl and Arlene Spaulding of Balsam Lake; brother-in-law, Dave Spaulding of Fairbanks; Fran Hallberg of Plymouth, Minn.; many nieces and nephews; and a host of close family friends.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, July 13, at 7 p.m. at Friends Community Church, 1485 30th Ave. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: Kids Fishing, Midnight Sun Fly Casters, P.O. Box 81255, Fairbanks, AK 99708-1255.

Arrangements were by Fairbanks Funeral Home and Crematory.