Spouse: Noreen Mae Agiak.

Spouse: Helen Mukpik. Helen Mukpik and Allen Kaleak were married about 1952 in Barrow, Noatak-Kobuk, Alaska, USA. Children were: Steve Kaleak, Allen Jr Kaleak, Billy Kaleak, Vernon Kaleak, Leo Kaleak, Margaret Kaleak, Charmain Kaleak, Marcella Kaleak, Floyd Kaleak.

Children were: Katherine Panigeo.

Spouse: Shelly Nusunginya. Children were: Qiilu Marie Huddell, Sigvaun John Huddell.

# eclecticism: Goodbye, Floyd #
Posted by: Michael Hanscom on April 26, 2004 12:58 AM
URL: `http://www.michaelhanscom.com/eclecticism/2004/04/goodbye_floyd.html`

I just found out about some sad news for any Alaskans or expatriates: well-known panhandler <a href="http://www.adn.com/front/story/4943784p-4872556c.html" title="Anchorage Daily News: Say goodbye to Floyd; prominent panhandler dies at age 45">Floyd died April 7, 2004</a>.

<blockquote><p>Anchorage drivers have one less reason to smile. Floyd is dead.</p>

For more than two decades, Floyd Kaleak, a mentally impaired panhandler with a wide smile, danced and waved at passing cars from street corners all over town. Some considered him a nuisance. Others called him an ambassador of good vibes, an Anchorage icon.

Wednesday morning, one of his caregivers found Kaleak dead, still seated in front of his television in the tidy white house he rented off East Third Avenue and Eagle Street. Kaleak, 45, appeared to have died of natural causes, Anchorage police said.

The news touched many at police headquarters, said spokesman Ron McGee. Though they had responded to dozens of calls involving Kaleak over the years, "I think officers here at APD felt some affection for Floyd," he said. "Someone here said he contributed to Anchorage in the only way he could. He made his mark."</p></blockquote><p>Anyone who lived in Anchorage for any length of time new of Floyd. You could see him all over town on any given day, standing on a street corner — I most often picture him in my mind at the corner of Northern Lights and Minnesota — bouncing up and down, waving at everyone who drove by, always with a bright, cheerful smile on his face. As long as I can remember living in Anchorage, he was as much a fixture of the city as anything else.

At one point, I heard a story about Floyd that may be something of an Anchorage urban legend, as it is somewhat (though not entirely) contradicted by some of the details of the news story, but it's stuck with me for a long time as a shining example that no matter what, limitations are only limitations if we allow them to be.

Floyd was somewhat mentally retarded — not enough so that he needed to be confined or looked after in an institution, but enough that holding down a job wasn't a realistic possibility for him. Because of this, he survived on the generosity of strangers, panhandling and collecting change from drivers and passersby as he danced and waved.

At one point, the police had to tell him that panhandling was illegal, and that he couldn't do it anymore. Since this was how he lived, though, they told him that you could get a "panhandler's license": a legal necessity generally used by people who participate in Anchorage's annual Renaissance Faire as beggars so that they can keep any tokens tossed to them by fairgoers. Floyd, doing what he could to stay out of trouble, saved enough of the money he collected that he was able to go to the city and get a panhandler's license so that he could legally support himself in the only way he was able to.

As it turns out, the story itself may be only partially true. The news story mentions that Floyd "got a state business license for his panhandling activities. It was never valid, but it made Kaleak something of a folk hero among the city's street people…." Either way, valid or not, it wasn't just the street people that that license impressed.

Goodbye, Floyd. Keep on dancing.

<span class="itunes"><strong>iTunes:</strong> "Heavy Weather" by Caia from the album <em>Isola D'Amore</em> (2003, 5:06).</span>

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## TrackBack Pings ##

### Floyd Gone from Nikonius Blog ###
Tracked on: May 4, 2004 08:15 AM
URL: `http://www.nikonius.us/blog/archives/000264.html`

To any Anchorage residents or expatriates who read my blog. Floyd, Anchorage's happy waving guy, died April 7, 2004 in his home of natural causes. I guess every town has one or two interesting characters that you see but don't really know. It is weird ...

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## Comments ##

I remember Floyd well. I always thought he was crazy. (he was) But I also saw that he was happy all the time. Most people could learn a lesson from Floyd. If your happy all the time then you're doing something right.

== Posted by: Tim who on April 26, 2004 09:03 AM

::mourning::
Oh my. This is so terribly sad. I remember seeing Floyd all the time when I lived in AK. He walked all over Anchorage waving to people...
/crying

== Posted by: Rebecca on April 26, 2004 09:10 AM

To make the cup run over..<a href="http://radio.wblogs.com/0100146/" rel="nofollow">.</a>

== Posted by: Rodney on May 4, 2004 07:37 AM Parents: Allen Kaleak and Helen Mukpik.

Spouse: Crystal McKay.

Spouse: Julia Lane.

Spouse: Betsy Otoana Aliana. Betsy Otoana Aliana and Kaliak Kaleak were married about 1906 in Wainwright, Koatak-Kobuk , Alaska, USA. They were divorced. Children were: Freddie Kuutuk Aishanna.

Spouse: Clara Ogeena Sakeagak. Clara Ogeena Sakeagak and Lawrence or Loren K Kaleak were divorced. Children were: Tina Kaleak, Jeffery Kaleak, Johnny Kaleak, Sylvia Kaleak, Jerry Kaleak.

Spouse: Mabel T Savgak Keegak. Mabel T Savgak Keegak and Leo Kaleak were married about 1924 in Nunatakmis, Noatak-Kobuk, Alaska, USA. Children were: Allen Kaleak, Lawrence or Loren K Kaleak, William Kaleak, Rhoda Kaleak, Riley P Kaleak, Harry Kaleak, Jeslie Kaleak, William Kaleak.

Spouse: Herman Gerald Rexford.

Spouse: Tommy Sr Pikok. Children were: Ethel Pikok, Joseph Pikok, David Pikok, Joseph Reynolds Aveoganna Pikok, Grace Ann Pikok, Billy Pikok, Elsie Pikok, John Kennedy Pikok, Percy Pikok, Tommy Jr Pikok, Lloyd Isaac Pikok.

Spouse: Clara Kingik.

Spouse: Kenneth Toovak.

Spouse: Eunice Atqaan Adams. Children were: Hazel Tiguatchiaq Adams, Darlene Kaleak, Matthew Kaleak.

Spouse: Ruth Shugluk. Children were: Mary Magdalene? Kaleak.

Spouse: Mary Jane Ahkinga.

Spouse: Peter Shugluk. Children were: Riggs Peter Sr Shugluk.

Spouse: Peter Tuckak Tookak. Children were: Olive Tookak, Ida Tookak, John Tookak Peter.

Spouse: Patrick N Okpeaha. Children were: Carl Taalak Okpeaha.

Children were: Stanley Panikpak.

Children were: Kalutakerak Kalutakerak, Matolik Kalutakerak.

Spouse: Virginia Rexford. Virginia Rexford and Fred S Kanayruak were divorced. Children were: LeRoy Kanayruak, Gilbert Kanayruak.

Spouse: Burton Nuksana Rexford. Children were: Loretta Jane Rexford, Delbert James Rexford, Julius Rexford, Michael Glenn Rexford, Brenton Fravel Rexford, Charles James Rexford, Jens Rexford Ungarook, Ellen Jane Rexford, Barbara Rexford, Elizabeth Rexford, Burton Jr Rexford, Roscoe Rexford.

Spouse: Wilber Ahtuangaruak. Bernice Kanayurak and Wilber Ahtuangaruak were married about 1957. Children were: Cyrus Ahtuangaruak, Ellen Rose Ahtuangaruak, Dora Ahtuangaruak, Rodney Ahtuangaruak, Jens Ahtuangaruak.

Spouse: Ellen Kulaaq Hopson. Ellen Kulaaq Hopson and Bud Kanayurak were married in 1925. Children were: Sadie Kanayruak, Henry M Kanayurak, Samuel Kanayurak.

Spouse: Olive Tookak.

Spouse: Dorcas S Koonaloak.

Spouse: Alasuk Alasuk. Children were: Charlie Alasuk Harvey, David Kangilaq Wright.

Spouse: Roy Ahmaogak. Kanik Kanik and Roy Ahmaogak were married about 1912 in Barrow, Noatak-Kobuk, Alaska. Children were: Walton Ahmaogak, Jeannette Ahmaogak.

Spouse: Charles Hopson. Children were: Davida Hopson, Francine Hopson, Pete Hopson, Rebecca Hopson, Emma Hopson.

Spouse: Jorgen Bolt. Christine Kaodloak and Jorgen Bolt were divorced. They were married. Children were: Tannis Bolt.

Spouse: Susan Marie Taipana Aleekuk. Children were: Kayla April Agnes Nigiyok Kaodloak, Michael Kaodloak.