Lifelong Alaska pioneer Tommy L. Moses, 88, died of natural causes Sept. 28, 2010, at Alaska Native Medical Center with family by his side.

A Mass will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at Evergreen Memorial Chapel, 737 E St. Visitation will be 11 a.m.-noon.

Tommy was born in Aonihtuli to Alexis Sirlok and Kelluinok on March 7, 1922.

Tommy served in the U.S. Army. He joined the Alaska Territorial Guard in 1942-43 and was honorably discharged on March 31, 1947.

Tommy was a subsistence and commercial fisherman, reindeer herder, boat captain of Sifton, store manager and city council member, served on the board of directors of the Emmonak Corporation and served as a parish council for the church. He worked at St. Mary's Mission.

The greatest thing that Tommy did was touch everyone's hearts everywhere during Eskimo Native dances. He was a fiddle player for his friends. He sang songs and loved to dance. He made everyone get up and move around. He would say, "Hep, hep!"

Tommy is survived by his sons and daughters, Simon, Lucy, John, Irene, Maria and Bernadette; his in-laws; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren throughout Alaska.

The family would like to give special thanks to ANMC staff and People Mover 3C, Bus 13. They would like to thank the following at Emmonak: City of Emmonak, Emmonak Tribal Council, Emmonak Corporation and Kwik'pak Fisheries LLC YDFDA corporate office.

The Moses family "wholeheartedly thanks George, Frank Hunter and Cindy Beans for driving while in Anchorage for their help in time of need," they said. "We thank the Athabascan Fiddlers Association for hosting a fundraiser for the Moses family. We would like to give a special thanks to all the people for their prayers and gifts they brought to the potlatch at Moose Lodge in this time of loss of our father. We truly appreciate everything you did."

Tommy will be greatly missed by his family and friends of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages. His generosity with his time and of himself is a true inspiration to us all.

Tommy's final resting place is Emmonak Cemetery. Published in adn.com from October 5 to October 6, 2010