Chris Birch: Senator, Mining Engineer, Statesman, Granddad
Alaska Miners and the entire state lost a great leader and statesman when Anchorage Senator Chris Birch passed away suddenly in August. He was 68. Birch’s proud family history in Alaska began in 1944 when his father, Frank, was stationed in Adak while serving in the US Marine Corps. After the war, Frank returned to Alaska with his wife, Bettijeanne, where he worked as a mining engineer and she as a geologist. Growing up in mining camps near Fairbanks and the Brooks Range, Birch followed in his father’s footsteps, earning a bachelors degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1972 and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management in 1979. He was very active in the Alaska Miners Association and was a regular at the Friday morning Anchorage AMA breakfasts, giving thoughtful insights and updates from the Alaska Legisla- ture, blended with jokes delivered with his quick grin. “I’m the only mining engineer in the Legislature,” he said often and with great pride, adding that it gave him unique insight into the demands on and needs of Alaska’s mining industry. Birch served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 2017-2018 and the Alaska Senate in 2019, in addition to mem- bership on both the Anchorage and Fairbanks assemblies and other numerous community organizations throughout his life. He is survived by his wife, Pam, two children and four grand- children.
Senator Chris Birch
Pam and Chris Birch on a favorite hiking trail above Juneau.
The Birch family celebration July 4th.
12
September 2019 I The Alaska Miner I www.alaskaminers.org
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease