Thomas Frank Fondell

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Fondell, Thomas Frank age 61, died peacefully in his Anchorage, AK home on April 16, 2017 from pancreatic cancer. Tom was born to Frank and Rose Fondell on Feb. 5, 1956 in Mpls, the third of seven children. Tom was raised in Minnesota where he learned to love the outdoors and the Mn Twins. One of his first jobs was batboy for the Twins and he remained a lifelong fan. In high school he and his brother bought lake property in northern Mn, which remained a very special place for him. He visited it for the last time in October, 2016. He was a 1974 graduate of Roosevelt H. S. where he was class president his senior year and a successful wrestler. He went on to earn a BS in Wildlife Management from the U of Mn in 1979. After completion of his undergraduate degree, Tom did biology field work in numerous places including the Louisiana bayous; St. John's River, Florida; Minnedosa, Manitoba; and Ruby Valley, Nevada. From 1982-1987, he volunteered for the Peace Corps assisting the locals of Central African Republic and Malawi in developing fisheries and beekeeping. From 1987 to 1990 he worked for the Peace Corps as a Training Director in Malawi. In 1991, Tom returned to the US and had his first stint in Alaska as a biology technician with Fish and Wildlife Services. After completing his Masters in Wildlife Biology at the U of Montana in 1997, he returned permanently to Anchorage and began his 20 year career as a Research Wildlife Biologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Alaska Science Center, specializing in waterfowl. He was a very dedicated biologist who loved field work, which took him to many wild places in Alaska. He was a committed writer, working tirelessly to publish and share his scientific findings with the goal of sustaining the earth and all its species. He was a member of American Ornithologists' Union and the Wildlife Society. Tom's other interests included Nordic skiing, biking, birding, hiking, reading, dip netting, hunting, berry picking, environmental concerns, listening to his "friends" on NPR and Alaska Public Radio, ice skating, and playing hockey. Tom valued his friends nearby as well as those thousands of miles away and maintained many friendships during his lifetime. Mn always was a special place to him and he remained very close to his family there. In Alaska, he found his partner, Melonie Rieck, a fellow Minnesota transplant. In the last 10 years they built a home together and married. He so loved his life, giving him the courage to valiantly continue his fight against cancer until he recognized he had no more to give. He spent his final days as he had desired, at home in the bright Alaskan spring sunshine with Melonie by his side and surrounded by the love and comfort of his many dear friends and family. Tom is survived by his wife, Melonie of Anchorage, his parents, Frank and Rose Fondell of Mpls, his sisters Renee Miller, Michele (Michael Wilson) Fondell, Jeanne (Randy Flandrick) Fondell, and Annette Turner, all of MN, brothers Chris (Lauren Braswell) Fondell of MN, and Joe (Robin) Fondell of New Jersey, as well as many dear nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents and his nephew, Connor VanKuiken. Services were held in Anchorage on April 28th. A celebration of life will be held in Mpls on Sat. May 27th from 2 to 5 p.m. at St. Therese Residence, 8008 Bass Lake Road, New Hope, MN. To honor Tom's passionate desire to sustain our living planet, donations in his name may be made to The Nature Conservancy or National Public Radio (KSKA-Alaska Public Radio).

Published on April 30, 2017