Jon Victor Traibush

July 14, 1953 – November 23, 1998

Jon Traibush wrote this narrative to our 1971-1991 Panther Tales:

For the past twenty years I’ve been living in Glacier Bay, Alaska and for the past five winters have been living in Hawaii. My occupation, for the most part, has been that of a carpenter, although I worked on oil rigs on the north slope of Alaska for three winters and commercial fished in the summers.

I’ve not been married, but have had quite a good time not being so.

I no longer partake of alcoholic beverages and feel really good about it. I’ve stayed in good shape and have taken up volleyball and golf since leaving BHS.

Fondest memory: Food fights in the cafeteria? Worst memory: Food fights in the cafeteria?

This is Jon Traibush’s obituary, dated Wednesday, November 25, 1998:

Jon Victor Traibush died in Gustavus on November 23, 1998 after falling off the roof of his shed. Traibush lived for the past 23 years in Gustavus, where he owned and operated a charter fishing business. He was born in Boulder, Colorado on July 14, 1953.

He is survived by his mother, Joan Traibush, father E. Victor Traibush and brother Tim Traibush, all of Boulder; bother Tom Traibush and his family, Naomi Westcott, and Alex and Dan Westcott of Gustavus; brother-in-law Paul Hintzen and niece Callie Hintzen of Tucson, Arizona; and his partner in life, Mary Cook, of Gustavus. Traibush also leaves behind hundreds of friends, the family said.

His family said : “Jon will be remembered for his playful nature and his ability to make us all laugh. He beat us at cribbage; he coached us at volleyball; he taught us how to fish; and he faithfully soaped our windshields every April 1.”

Donations to support athletic programs may be sent to the Gustavus School in care of the Jonny T. Fun Fund.

Elizabeth DeLand (Cookie Cook) shares the following:
I just adored Jon Traibush. Jon was smart and quick on the comeback. When I was a single mom, Jon would come by and hang with us and make me laugh. He was always very good with my kids. I miss him and I would just love to get to know him better someday.

Sallie Bradford recalls: 

Traibush could make anyone laugh!

Tracy Rowland said:
Both of our families went through divorce at the same time. Both of our Moms who were both named Joan talked about putting our two families together in their house on Mapleton. It didn’t ever happen and I was always sad for that. I thought at the time that it would be one of the good things coming out of losing my family was to gain the Traibushs as our family. I would have loved to have Jon as my brother along with the other Traibushs. Funny how some things become so important to you when you are young. So sad he is gone...

Billy Hopkins remembers:
Jon Traibush, John Craven and I got caught taking some stuff from a car on the back of Flagstaff. Jon called me to warn me that the sheriff was coming to my house, as he had just left his. I was told that Jon and Mike Craven were putting a new roof on his house in Alaska. Craven came off the roof to go clean up and to go meet Jon Traibush’s girlfriend in town. Jon told Mike he was going to do a little more work on the roof, so go ahead. Mike left, and Jon somehow fell off the roof onto the sidewalk below and died. Although he and I did not stay in touch, it was a great loss in my heart and to all of us.

Jon’s brother, Tim Traibush, remembers:
Jon was a true mountain man. He spent most of his adult life in Alaska and oftentimes wintered in Hawaii. He bought some property in Gustavus, Alaska and quickly noticed four strong trees that stood in perfect 90 degree relationship to one another, so he built a tree house and lived in it for a number of years. Bear claw marks were found on the bark leading up towards that tree house! A great carpenter, Jon built his permanent home on that same piece of property. He was in the process of building a boat shed with a steep roof when he lost his life.

Jon was a commercial fisherman on Glacier Bay and eventually started a charter boat business for fishing and sight seeing. Golfing was a sport he enjoyed, as well. He was so friendly and outgoing and popular with everyone. Jon had a real joy and passion for connecting with people. He was close friends with many classmates, including Mike Craven, John Craven, Brian Hellwig, Chuck Steele, and Barbie Vogel.

Jon’s brother, Tom Traibush, remembers:
Jon was a very happy and highly sociable man and always looked on the positive side of life. He helped the elderly in his community of Gustavus, and routinely checked in on all his friends. Even after living in Alaska for so many years, he would think of a childhood friend and pick up the phone for a ten-minute conversation, saying “I was just thinking about you and wanted to check in and see what you’re up to.” He could be abrasive, but in a funny, loving way. For example, he would say that “Half the people are *!@%* and the other half are #@$&!” Then he would laugh and say “As for me, I’m a *!@%*/” His bluntness was a part of his charm because, in reality, he had such a big and loving heart that had room for everyone. Jon gave up drinking when he was about 30 years old, and was much happier for it, though he planned to enjoy one shot of the most expensive whiskey available at the turn of the millennium, which event he didn’t live to experience.

Jon loved playing games, including cribbage, poker, and fancied himself as a great horseshoe player. Tom is angry that he never got to repay Jon all the bets he lost in their games – Jon was a great competitor. He rose at 4 am to get out on the water, so he would tell his poker guests “In 10 minutes, I’m going to be in my bed and you are going to be backing out of my driveway. I’m not saying you have to leave right now, but just envision how it will be 10 minutes from now.”

Jon loved trucks and owned many of them throughout his life. His favorite was Maybelline, a 1948 old Dodge 1-ton truck. He would say “Maybelline loves to haul.” Indeed, she hauled the wood for his treehouse and his home after it arrived on a barge.

In 1978, Jon invited Tom to his newly purchased property in Gustavus and said “Walk back here with me and look at these spruce trees, perfectly spaced.” Long story short, Jon built a two story treehouse in which he lived for a number of years. It was 18 feet off the ground. He had a table, chairs, little kitchen, wood stove, and a loft for sleeping. Amazingly, he had a hand pump for water to rise all the way into his treehouse. Eventually, he built his own home with three bedrooms. That house originally did not have plumbing, so he built a two-story outhouse. The logic behind such a plan was that he wouldn’t have to keep shoveling snow between the house and the outhouse in winter. He could let the snow build up (sometimes up to 6 feet of snow!) and walk out the second story of his house to the second story of the outhouse. It saved a lot of shovel time! As far as Tom knows, this was an exclusive Jon Traibush design – no others like it.

Jon loved the water and owned his own charter fishing boat. He caught salmon up to 50 pounds in size. He claimed fishing was for fun, but once he had a big one on the line, he was fanatical and all business. Jon was a salmon trawler by hand – using a crank operated by hand, not by machine. Halibut was also a favorite for Jon.

It was somewhat on a whim that Jon jumped on the opportunity to ride on a boat to Alaska in search of work. He knew nothing of boats and it was pure adventure for a young man. He found work in Anchorage, the North Slope and Prudhoe Bay. For a number of years Jon bounced back and forth between Alaska and Hawaii. When in Maui, he supported himself in the construction trade, while surfing, eating papayas, and playing golf.

Jon was constructing a 2-1/2 story boat house with a steep roof when he apparently fell to the ground below. Tom takes comfort in knowing that Jon’s death was quick. Up to that moment, Jon’s life was very full and enjoyable. Unfortunately, Jon’s sister, Cathy, died quite suddenly a couple of years before Jon.

Mike Craven was working with Jon earlier on the day of the accident. John Craven attended Jon’s memorial service and requested some of Jon’s ashes, which he carries with him when he goes golfing. The Traibush family spread Jon’s ashes out in the Icy Strait at Point Adolphus in Glacier Bay, a place of magnificent beauty for whale watching. This was the land that Jon loved and embraced as his home for more than 20 years.

Mary Cook, Jon’s significant other, wrote a short essay for NPR on the tragedy of his death and surviving her grieving process. It can be found by googling Mary Cook, NPR, Alaska.