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Hank Hove

FAIRBANKS -- Hank Hove, a community and communications leader respected for his vision and work in both arenas, died late Sunday night Alaska time in Yakima, Wash., due to complications from renal failure. He was 70.

Hove’s professional and political life in Fairbanks spanned almost three decades.

Broadcast pioneer Augie Hiebert hired Hove in 1973 as an engineer and in 1977 to head up Northern Television Inc., which owned KTVF-TV Channel 11 and radio stations KXLR and KCBF. Hove stayed with the broadcasting company for 24 years.

He also served the community as a Fairbanks North Star Borough assemblyman for three terms and as borough mayor from 1997 to 2000.

His son, Brian Hove, said his father took pride in his accomplishments, both in the private and public sectors.

“The approach he took to public service is particularly admirable,” he wrote in an e-mail. “He was motivated not by financial gain or personal notoriety but, instead, by what he could honestly do to make Fairbanks a better, stronger community.”

As borough mayor, Hove upgraded school district facilities, focused on economic expansion and diversification, and succeeded in reducing the mill rate.

Hove was one of the pioneers in developing the Alaska Gasline Port Authority, leading municipal efforts to secure construction of a natural gas pipeline, an effort that continues today.

Shortly before leaving office in November 2000 and retiring to Nevada with his wife, Fran, Hove was quoted in a News-Miner interview as saying he took pride in being part of the creation of the port authority despite initial reaction by others who scoffed at the idea of bringing a pipeline to Fairbanks.

“We were regarded as pretty weird birds by almost everyone in the industry,” he said.

Former Borough Mayor Jim Sampson said he encouraged Hove to run for the mayor’s seat after working with him when Hove was an assembly member.

“He had the leadership; he had the temperament. He set the tone of the assembly after several tumultuous years when there were some colorful, opinionated and strong characters in it,” Sampson said. “He didn’t really get the credit he deserved.”

“I have a deep respect for Hank Hove. I believe any success I may have had, I attribute to Hank,” Sampson said.

Borough Clerk Mona Drexler worked closely with Hove during his dozen years with the borough.

“In his nine years serving on the assembly, he was presiding officer for seven consecutive years,” Drexler pointed out. “I felt that was a testament to his ability as a leader that the assembly and its various members through that nine-year span continued to elect him as their presiding officer. That is pretty unusual.”

After Hove was elected to a three-year term as borough mayor, Drexler said, he continued to stop by the clerk’s office regularly and sit and have coffee with its staff.

“Finally one day, I said to him, ‘You know big guy, you’re suppose to be upstairs in the big office on the third floor,’” she said, laughing at the remembrance.

“There was just this comfort level since we had worked so closely for so many years. I have very fond memories of him and I am very saddened by this,” Drexler said. “I had the utmost respect for him.”

Former Fairbanks news anchor Curtis Thomas describes Hove, who was his first boss in his first real job as “quiet, confident, strict but fair.”

“He taught me discipline and how to listen to others and respect their opinions even if I didn’t agree with it,” Thomas said.

“Keep your opinion in your back pocket! — He made that very clear and expected all of his reporters to honor that. He always wanted all of us to be respectful to everyone in the community.”

Another Northern Television alum, Meg Gaydosik, remembers Hove for promoting her to station manager at KTVF when placing a woman in that position was “pretty much of a rarity” nationwide at the time.

“Hank and I didn’t always agree, but over the years, I came to appreciate his absolute commitment to operating a TV station that truly served the community.”

Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker said Hove participated in a wide variety of community events.

“Anything that had to do for the betterment of Fairbanks, he was there as those things happened,” Whitaker said.

“He was a genuine person with a wonderful, wry sense of humor, and he didn’t mind hitting someone over the head with a stick if it was called for. He was a wonderful man in every sense of the word — a gentleman, and I only respect and admire him.”

At Northern Television, Hove also was known for his authoritative voice.

“It was always that big, booming baritone; that quiet, dignified roar that could be heard throughout the station,” Thomas recalled. “When he said something, you paid attention. You couldn’t help it.”

The wider public heard Hove’s voice regularly from the news anchor chair in the 1980s, when Hove found himself actually delivering the news over several stints.

Thomas’ respect for Hove increased when in the late 1980s, Hove first ran for political office—the Borough Assembly.

“It was impressive and inspiring to all of us who knew him,” Thomas said. “He didn’t have to step into that arena. He truly wanted to make the Fairbanks North Star Borough a better place to live.”

When he wasn’t working or serving the community, Hove enjoyed tinkering with ham radios.

A longtime ham radio operator, he also was a member of the Arctic Amateur Radio Club for many years and an accomplished radio equipment builder.

“He liked to build radio equipment from scratch, which is not done by many today,” said fellow AARC member Jim Movius.

“I inherited one of the amplifiers he built. The construction work is without peer,” Movius added.

A longtime friend of Hove’s, Jeff Cook, also admired Hove’s parliamentary skills, humor and diplomacy while keeping order during borough meetings without ever demeaning anyone.

“Whenever I had real estate issues (before the borough), you not only had to prove your case, but you had to do better, go beyond in proving your point,” Cook said. “You didn’t always win him over. He wanted to be fair.”

Cook said his respect for Hove grew as he witnessed Hove’s devotion, care and attention to his mentor, Hiebert, who was declining in his later years.

“I was sorry to see Hank leave (Fairbanks). He left the community, but I don’t think his heart ever left. He developed close friendships with people, and he kept in touch with people.”

“He gave a lot to Fairbanksans,” Cook continued. “He was only mayor one term, but sometimes you get the right person at the right time.”

A service has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Pacific time Saturday at Central Lutheran Church in Yakima. Burial will follow at Terrace Heights Cemetery, with a gathering to be held at the nearby Keith and Keith Mortuary afterward.