Kenneth Bruce Walch —————— § —————— August 6, 1936 - October 20, 2023 Kenneth Bruce Walch died on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at his home on Baxter Road. He and his wife Joanna had recently moved to Anchorage from their home in Big Lake, Alaska. He was born in Clintonville, Wis., on Aug. 6, 1936. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bruce Vaughn Walch and Daisy Fitzgerald Walch; and brother, Andrew Walch. He lived in Clintonville until leaving to attend Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Mich., where he graduated with a degree in civileEngineering in 1960. He put himself through college with his photography, and some of his photos made it into national publications. After college, he moved to Colorado, working in heavy construction and with state and federal agencies. He was most proud of the work he did on the Flaming Gorge Dam. He met Joanna in Colorado, and they started a life of adventure, moving to Alaska in 1966. They only intended to stay a year. He never left. Ken became a partner in DOWL Engineers in 1970. After leaving DOWL in 1988, he worked with Fryer/Presley Engineering for a few years before starting his own business, Northwest Aerial Photography. Flying was a passion for him, and this was a natural fit. Over the years he flew a variety of planes, including a Luscombe, Cessna 170, Cessna 320, Blanik glider and a home built Cirrus VK30. At 80 years old, Ken flew the Cirrus down to Michigan and donated the plane to the Air Zoo Aviation Museum, where it rests today. His interests were diverse and almost always included building things and solving problems. Following in his dad's footsteps, he had a woodshop where he built dollhouses, bird feeders and mews, dog houses and furniture. He helped build a cabin in Seldovia and built a family cabin in Big Lake. He also designed and built his homes in Anchorage and Big Lake. He had a love and commitment to engineering. In 1998, he retired from aerial photography and spent the rest of his life as a consulting engineer. He worked on the Port of Alaska, served on the Matanuska-Susitna Borough's Transportation Advisory Board, the mayor's Road Task Force and other projects. He wrote articles on engineering practice issues and was a speaker at events on business practices and engineering ethics. He received several acknowledgments for his commitment to the profession of engineering. In 1979, he was the Alaska Engineer of the Year. In 1989, he received the National PEPP Merit Award from NSPE. He served as an officer in local and state engineering societies and, in 1997, was elected as the national president of the NSPE. He is survived by his wife, Joanna, whom he married May 22, 1965; son, Brian and wife Amanda; daughter, Sheila Walch; and daughter, Sara and husband Kristopher Hadden. He is the proud grandfather of eight grandchildren. He will be remembered not only for his work ethic and honesty, but also for his commitment to his family, his love of adventure and his sense of humor. A celebration of his life will be held at the Alaska Aviation Museum on Nov. 18, 2023, from 2-4 p.m.