Friends, family mourn local legend Richard ‘Skinny Dick’ Hiland
Published Saturday, April 19, 2008
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In death as in life, Richard “Skinny Dick” Hiland was the life of the party.
At a well-attended wake Friday at the International Bar and Grill, one of Skinny Dick’s favorite haunts when he was on “a runaway” from tending bar at his own place, “Skinny Dick’s Halfway Inn,” glasses were raised time after time in the legendary barkeep’s honor.
Mourners only had to cross the street following an afternoon funeral Mass at Immaculate Conception Church and crowd into the Big I’s dark, smoky interior to share stories, food and Skinny Dick’s favorite toast, “Happy, happy!”
Skinny Dick, who died April 7 at age 80 after a short illness, sold the Halfway Inn in 2003, but remains very much alive in the memories and hearts of his many friends and relatives.
Although he was known for his rude jokes, cussin’ and carousing, Skinny Dick’s large circle of friends say it was balanced by his upbeat, fun-loving temperament, storytelling and openhandedness.
“He was quite a character,” Jeana Apling said. “He could tell stories like no one else.”
Sandy Howard described her longtime friend as “always happy,” even though people often came to him with their troubles.
“He knew if you had troubles when you came in the door,” Howard said.
“He had a sixth sense,” interjected Apling. “He was a layman psychologist and a layman sociologist.”
But he didn’t let people walk all over him, she added.
“He gave what he got. If he got crap, he gave it right back.”
John Cruikshank, married to a niece of Skinny’s, sported a hand-painted T-shirt at Friday’s send off, featuring Skinny Dick’s original “Happy Bears” logo — mating polar bears — on the front and on the back a scenic colorful rendition of the Inn, located halfway between Fairbanks and Nenana.
Tourists were quite often astonished by the crude photos and paraphernalia tacked up on the Inn’s walls.
“He loved to tease the tourists,” Howard said. “And the locals would sit there and giggle, too.”
Skinny Dick’s reputation extended far beyond the tawdry named Halfway Inn’s woodsy setting which snagged a fair number of tourists who in turn spread the word far and wide.
Although the Halfway Inn wasn’t touted in tourist brochures, Skinny Dick’s naughty product line and personality once were included in the multimedia Alaska follies created by the now retired Mr. Whitekeys of Anchorage’s Fly By Night Club.
The Inn’s X-rated T-shirts, hats and miscellaneous novelty items continue to sell via the Inn’s Web site.
Ike and Jeana Apling met at the rural watering hole, and credit Skinny Dick for promoting their courtship and eventual marriage.
Jeana was working there at the time and Ike was a frequent customer. When Jeana needed firewood, Skinny Dick suggested Ike, and the two became friends as Skinny, ever in the background, orchestrated Ike’s minimal but frequent wood deliveries and gave Jeana a crockpot so she could prepare a meal for Ike when he appeared.
“It became kind of a joke between my wife, Skinny and I,” Ike said. “You always hear, ‘Never marry anybody you meet at a bar.’”
Skinny Dick’s generosity also was well known, often giving away more than he sold.
Ike recalled the time he stopped off at the Halfway Inn on his way home from Kenai with a load of fish, broke and worried that he didn’t have enough gas to make it back to North Pole.
“I walked in and he handed me a $20 bill without saying a word,” Ike said.
Skinny Dick’s ability to read people seemed uncanny at times, friends said.
One day while sitting at the bar with Skinny, Apling said, he looked out the window as a car pulled in with two men and a woman.
“Skinny said, ‘One hat, two T-shirts and the bathroom.’”
Sure enough, the trio walked in and the woman asked where the bathroom was, one man bought a hat, and the woman and the other man each bought a T-shirt before leaving.
Raised in Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota, Skinny Dick was born with one lung and was run over by a runaway horse-drawn wagon at age 3. He acquired his nickname because of his small stature.
According to Ike, Skinny always felt he missed out on his real life calling as a jockey.
Skinny Dick came north in 1969 following a failed marriage. He leaves behind a son, Michael Hiland of Portland, Ore.; a daughter, Freda Hiland-Ulen, and stepsons, Harold and Robert Pierce, all of Fairbanks.
Skinny’s wife Mabel died in 2004.
“He cherished my mom and treated her real good,” Harold Pierce said.
Later when Mabel required full-time care because of dementia, Pierce said, his stepdad would go visit her every day he was in town and help feed her lunch.
Community Discussion
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RIP, Skinny, and "Happy, Happy" to you! Salud on a life welldone.
I had the distinct pleasure of calling skinny a friend. One more part of the old Alaska that we wont get back. I think that I will go find a rye whisky and have a shot in his name, Happy, happy!
RIP Skinny!
RIP Skinny. You are right JB, a part of Alaska that we cant get back. Skinny, you were a hell of a guy though, and the article is right, he could take as good as he gave!!
See ya Skinny, thanks for the beer on our Wedding day!!
I never got the change to meet him, but my Aunt when she was her on vacation did. I thank him for the giggles she came home with and the smiles she spread when she went home.
From reading this, he was one helluva a man and will be sorely missed. Heres to him! Salute!
God Bless Ya, Skinny. Our hearts are at "half-mast" today.
I still get shocked and amazed when I drive by the sign that says Skinny Dicks.
So do I honeyhi. I remember seeing it for the first time when I was like 11. Always looked for it when I was out that way.
Thanks for the memories Skinny. May the sight of Skinny Dicks make tourists blush for years to come.
I didn't know hi well, having met him a couple of times. You know, I grew up in Fairnaks and ecaped the town by occasionally visiting his establishment. Of course we all laughed at firs,. I never see the reason in any article about he location. Hmm? are we that prudish? No, or we would never tolerated the establishment. Question: Why am I the only one to bring it up??????????????? I haven't said wht we all think!!!!!!!!!! Are we that afraid that the feds will use it a reason to attack us?
OK, I apologize in advance. Having a very wide and thick dick, I think the whole skinny dick thng is funny.
Halfways is funny from the adolescent viewpoint but also because was a MP ^ which is halfways from Nenana to Fairbanks.
I can't count the number of times I was so grateful to see the inn. The name made me laugh, but not on those days. They were very essential on some trips. An I drove a personal vehicle.
The prudes of today will have us never discuss the name of his establishment, so I will. met him more than once, and even when I had to walk up out of the ditch. And he was a class act, always. Like he had reserved a seat for me, even though i was bleeding. (no, not intoxicated) He provided comfort in an area where that is few and and between.
RIP
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