Valda McMahan Obituary (1933 – 2023) – Fairbanks, AK

Valda Josephine McMahan, an Alaska Pioneer, passed away Tuesday evening, Aug. 1, 2023, at age 89.

Born Oct. 2, 1933, to Valda Lopez and William Joseph Cammack, Valda Jo was raised in the Death Valley desert.

Valda served in the U.S. Army where she saw much of the world. She finished her Army career working in D.C. and retired as a disabled Korean War veteran.

After the military, she made the solitary journey to Fairbanks, Alaska. She found herself at a small diner without winter gear or a place to stay. After waitressing for that diner, she worked at Alaska Communications as a telephone…