The death of someone cared for leaves a glaring hole for those left behind. The Last Alaskan family lost feisty Bob Harte in July 2017, and his death is still reverberating among those devoted to the Discovery series.
The Last Alaskan features the few people who are legally entitled to live, trap and hunt in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area home to thousands of animals. In 1980, the U.S. government banned human occupation in the refuge, giving just seven permitted cabins (Bob Harte’s was one) for usage.
The series shows a handful of families living in isolation and surviving and flourishing amid the rugged wilderness.
They are Heimo Korth, and his wife Edna; the late Bob Harte, who spent 40 years up in Alaska from New Jersey, his ex-wife Nancy, his daughter Talicia, and Bob, Tyler and Ashley Selden.
The Lewis family also are there at their old homestead, navigating upriver through Alaska’s interior on a houseboat constructed over the past decade by Ray. And another fan favorite, Charlie Jagow, who was born in the refuge and remains one of the youngest permit-holders, is there to build his first cabin. Read how the series came to be here.
We know that Bob Harte loved the Alaskan woods and the Arctic wilderness. But he also loved his only child, a daughter.
Talicia was a rock for Bob up until his death at 66 years of age after losing a battle with cancer.
Before he died, Harte shared a telling quote about the importance of Talicia and his family on the series, saying, “It’s always nice to see Talicia. Family is extremely important to me. I wouldn’t want to be somebody with nothing…and I have something.”
But who is Talicia Harte?
Talicia is the daughter of Bob Harte and Nancy, his estranged wife who still cared for him up until and after his passing. Talicia has a baby daughter, Carmella, making Bob and Nancy happy grandparents who relished their visits.
Talicia’s relationship with Bob Harte was a close one. They both shared near life-ending accidents, with Bob once being in a motorcycle smash. He also cheated death from a plane crash.
Used to the wilderness of Alaska, Talicia spent loads of time in the cabin that Nancy gave us a tour of in our last post on the show.
When Bob was diagnosed with cancer, both Nancy and Talicia were shown looking after him through his course with cancer.
Talicia’s disability
Talica was reportedly left disabled after a car accident. An archived news item from Fairbanks Daily News Miner Newspaper Archives dated Sunday, May 14, 2006, reads:
Page A12 Cl Fighting Back Talicia Harte, a spunky 22-year-old, is taking painstaking steps toward recovery after a February car accident that nearly claimed her life.
In a video clip, Bob Harte described the accident that altered Talicia’s life.
He said: “My daughter is a lot like me. She is a survivor. She’s tough as nails. Talicia was a very active young woman but then she had an accident. She became disabled from some guy talking on his cell phone, going broadside right into her. I’m 64 years old. I don’t know how many years I have left but I’d like to provide for my daughter.”
On Susan Jouett’s C.F.R. website, Talicia left a testimonial to the healing work of the therapist:
Talicia Harte
Anchorage, Alaska
To put it simply, thank you for changing my life greatly for the better.
Talicia is also a listed cash donor to AccessAlaska.org summer newsletter blog which helps people with disabilities.
The Last Alaskans airs Sundays on Discovery.
Admiración y respeto para esta personas que no conocieron el miedo ni la derrota.