Kancho Spasoff passed away peacefully at home on March 2 with his family by his side.

Kancho’s parents, who were Bulgarian immigrants, came to the United States searching for a better life. Kancho’s mother passed away while he was still a young infant, and his father was killed in a coal mine in West Virginia when Kancho was only 7 years old. Kancho was left to be raised by his two older brothers and a sister until he completed high school. After high school, he and his brothers went to Washington, D.C. where they got jobs as union iron workers.

Kancho worked on many jobs throughout the U.S. from Florida to New York. He worked on missile silos in Wyoming, bridges across the Sacramento and Feather rivers in California, the Astoria Bridge in Oregon, plus many more.

In 1964, there was a bad earthquake in Alaska, and he heard there was a lot of work, so he and a friend headed there. This is where Kancho ended up spending the next 30 years, starting out as an iron worker and later becoming the business agent and financial treasurer for three terms until he retired in 1992. After retirement, he moved to Burns with his wife so that she could be near her sister, Barbara Palmer. Kancho enjoyed spending time in his greenhouse, growing tomatoes.

Kancho is survived by his nephews, Steve (Marilyn) Palmer, David Palmer, and Mark (Kim) Palmer; and nieces, Cathy (Dan) Kincheloe, Caren Farrel, and Sandra (Bob) Reeves.

Kancho was preceded in death by his wife, Kathy; parents; brothers; and sister.

At his request, no services will be held. Donations may be made to the Harney County Senior Center or the Shriners International.