Kim Chancey passed away surrounded by her family on September 21, 2019. A celebration of her life will be Wed, Sept 25, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. at Anchorage Funeral Home, 1800 Dare Ave. Hawaiian attire is encouraged. Really, it is.

Kim was born in Dallas, Texas to Wilburn Barry Langlotz and Carolyn West Dorough Langlotz. She grew up in Richardson, Texas with her sister, Kathy and brother, Richard.

She graduated in 1973 from J.J. Pierce High School in Richardson, Texas. She went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas in Austin and graduated with her undergraduate degree in 1977. After establishing both her professional career and family in Texas she soon moved to Anchorage as a young mother, having given birth to her daughter, Cheryl. In Alaska she became a mother for a second time with the birth of her son, Stephen. There she served as president of the Petroleum Wives Club, spearheading the addition of philanthropic events and programs to the organization. She completed her Masters of Engineering and Science Management at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Kim went on to study at the Seminary of Spiritual Peacekeeping and was ordained by the Latter Rain Ministries in 2002.

Kim was a pioneer throughout her career. She was a persistent problem solver, finding ways to negotiate the unique structural challenges in Alaskan telecommunication and healthcare. She designed systems to increase access to healthcare, prevent and respond to emergencies, and to increase energy efficiency and efficacy to include renewable energy in villages throughout the state. She was the first woman licensed as an engineer in Alaska, and early in her career was voted Alaska’s Engineer of the Year. She mentored younger women coming up through engineering, offering guidance and inspiration to the next generation. In efforts to share her love of math, she found joy creatively teaching introductory college math through numerous programs. At the time of her passing she worked with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and taught with the on-line education program of Charter College. She also spent countless hours working on behalf of numerous local charities.

Kim’s friends and family experienced and were inspired by the best of who we could be through her joyful generosity. Life with Kim was punctuated with random gifts, which sometimes coincided with a birthday or Christmas. Often however, the special occasion was simply explained by, “This made me think of you.” Her grandson, Jeremy, was especially showered by her love in this way. She loved him first and best, leaving the rest of us to take a number.

Kim found great peace in her personal peephole into Paradise. She saw there luau’s with reggae music, dancing and beaches with the soothing crash of gentle waves. Here sea shells and sand dollars are perfect and plentiful. In this place everyone worked collaboratively to identify, define and engineer ways to make things better… for everyone. It is where everyone was encouraged to go at their own pace, with the confidence they would arrive exactly on time.

Through life’s waxing and waning of ecstatic joy or intense sadness, Kim’s motto seemed to be, “It’s all used for the good.” This belief undoubtedly bred her innate sweetness. Her quiet, gentle sweetness was unavoidable. She was known for her generosity and acceptance of everyone just where they were. In her words she, loved others, “Always and in All Ways.” Indeed, her final gesture in this life was born out of an ultimate generosity, by being an organ donor. In lieu of flowers, the family is encouraging donations to LifeCenter Northwest at https://www.lcnw.org/financial-contribution/ or Life Alaska Donor Center at http://www.lifealaska.org/way_to_donate/pick_click_give.html. Ways to give financial donations and registering to be an organ donor can be found at these links.

Paradise became even sweeter this week as she moved to the other side of her peephole. Do not think that her sweetness has left this world. Sweetness doesn’t work that way. She has merely left it in our care. Each of us is now charged with continuing her legacy of kindness by loving each other “Always and in All Ways.”

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203201085/kimberly-ann-chancey