Obituary: Caroline Ann McAlister Gullufsen (Dec. 7, 1919 – Dec. 1, 2025)

Caroline Ann (McAlister) Gullufsen passed away in Menifee, California, on Dec. 1, 2025, six days before her 106th birthday.

Caroline Gullufsen

Caroline lived on her own until she was 103 when health issues forced her to relocate to Sunny Rose Glen, an assisted living home. “My mother was a strong-willed person who knew what she wanted from the time she was a little kid. She knew she wanted to live independently and went kicking and screaming to the home,” her son Patrick said, laughing. Once there, she made friends and lived comfortably and was treated with great respect due to her sharp mind at such an advanced age. 

Caroline was born on Dec. 7, 1919, in Skagway, Alaska, to James and Helen "Nell" (Flynn) McAlister. In 1923, the family moved to Juneau, Alaska. Caroline's three sisters were born in Juneau: Kathleen "Kay," Patricia, and Marilyn.

Caroline's grandparents, Patrick and Ellen Flynn were Irish immigrants who moved to Skagway in 1900. Caroline treasured memories of being sent to Skagway as a young girl to spend summers with her grandparents. Her grandfather worked on the White Pass Yukon Railway, and her grandmother kept a large garden and chickens. One of Caroline’s chores was to collect eggs from the chickens every morning. She was proud to have been given this responsibility at such a young age.

Caroline and her sisters went to grade school at St. Ann's Catholic School, located just down the hill from the family home at the top of Gold Street (the home, purchased in 1929 by Caroline's parents, is still in the family, now owned by Caroline's niece, Kim Metcalfe). Caroline attended Juneau High School, graduating in 1938. The following year, she went to St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing in Tacoma, Washington, where she graduated in June of 1941 with a nursing degree.

During their teenage years, the McAlister girls were known for their outgoing personalities, good looks, and fashionable clothing. They were young women during World War II when 5,000 servicemen were stationed in Juneau. The sisters were belles of the ball and had their choice of dates among the soldiers.

In June of 1946, Caroline married George M. Gullufsen, also a lifelong Alaskan. George was born in Seward, Alaska, and moved to Juneau with his parents and sisters in 1936. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in late 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and did not return home to Juneau until his discharge in 1945. George and Caroline married at the Catholic Church of the Nativity in June of 1946. They subsequently had five children: Patrick, Carrie, George, Kathleen, and Michael. Kathleen and Michael died in childhood. Patrick, Carrie, and George were all raised in Juneau.

George and Caroline lived in Juneau until 1968, when they moved to Anchorage, where George was later promoted to deputy director of customs for the District of Alaska. They remained in Anchorage until 1976, when George retired. They tried retiring in Seattle, but after a lifetime of rain and cold, they decided to relocate to Sun City, California, in 1977. The couple made many new friends in Sun City. It was a retirement community and many of the residents were WWII veterans and their spouses. They enjoyed barbeques and cocktail parties with their new group of friends. George and Caroline enjoyed traveling and were frequently on the move. Their favorite destinations were Hawaii, Portugal and back home to Alaska to visit family and dear friends. George passed away in 2003 in Sun City. Caroline lived another 22 years in their home before moving to the assisted living home in late 2022.

During the years after George's death, Caroline considered it a blessing to have not only the love and support of her immediate family but also of her nieces and nephews. Caroline was close to her Metcalfe nieces, nephews, and their spouses: Mac (Ann), Kim (the late Paul Helmar), Peter (Sandy), Patrice "Tissy" (Bill Parker), Kathleen "Teeny" (Ray Brudie),  John (Gemma), Mark (Linda), and Heather (Ronnie Bell), as well as her niece Susie (Todd Kollar). Caroline was visited regularly by these family members and others and went on several trips with them. After Caroline moved into the assisted living home, family visits continued to bring her great happiness and were the highlight of her final years.

Caroline is buried next to her husband George at the National Veterans Cemetery in Riverside, California. She was preceded in death by her daughter Kathleen, her son Michael, her sisters and their husbands, Patricia and Vern Metcalfe, Kathleen “Kay” and Robert Prather, and Marilyn and Harold Kling, her niece Carol Kling, and nephew Jeff Prather. 

She is survived by her son Patrick and his wife Kris Sell-Gullufsen of Montana, her daughter Carrie and her husband Robert Haskell of Anchorage, and her son George, who lives in Seattle; seven grandchildren including Patrick’s four sons: Olin, Ryan, Eric, and Kevin Gullufsen; Carrie’s two sons: Jeffrey Haskell and Brian Haskell; and George’s daughter, Vanessa Gullufsen. Caroline has two great-grandchildren, Josie Gullufsen (Kevin’s daughter), and Julia Haskell (Jeffrey’s daughter). 

Caroline is also survived by her sister Marilyn Kling’s children, Harold Kling Jr., Jim Kling and his husband Dennis Manoni, and Kelly Kling; her cousin Mary Ellen Flynn Rafferty; and former daughters-in-law Sue Cotter and Candice Christie. The family would also like to recognize Isobel Muñoz, Caroline’s longtime caregiver, and the friends who visited and were helpful during her last year, including Charlotte Montgomery, Sara and Jean-François Sautin, and the late Larry Cotter.

A celebration of Caroline’s life will be held on July 2, 2026, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the home of Kim Metcalfe, 730 Gold Street, Juneau. All friends of the Gullufsen family and their extended Alaska family are invited to stop by.