Mary Peltola's Husband Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr. Died — What Happened to Him?

People are wondering what happened to Mary Peltola's husband, Eugene “Buzzy” Peltola Jr., after learning that he died at the age of 57. The former Congresswoman for Alaska filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her husband's employers following his death.

Eugene died on Sept. 12, 2023, near a Yukon River hunting camp in Southwest Alaska, per Alaska Public Media. So, what happened to him?

Mary Peltola's husband died after his plane crashed near the Yukon River in Southwest Alaska back in 2023. The then-Congresswoman's chief of staff, Anton McParland, shared a statement on X following Eugene's tragic death.

"We are devastated to share that Mary's husband, Eugene Peltola Jr. — "Buzzy" to all of us who knew and loved him — passed away earlier this morning following a plane accident in Alaska," read the statement. "He was one of those people that was obnoxiously good at everything."

"He had a delightful sense of humor that lightened the darkest moments," it continued. "He was definitely the cook in the family. And family was most important to him. He was completely devoted to his parents, kids, siblings, extended family, and friends — and he simply adored Mary."

The statement added that Mary was going home to be with her family as she grieved.

Eugene Peltola Jr. was piloting a Piper PA-18 Super Cub when the crash occurred at approximately 8:45 p.m. He had flown a hunter and their equipment 64 miles away from St. Mary’s. National Transportation Safety Boarspokesperson Sarah Sulick said the area was remote.

“After leaving the hunter, the plane took off to return and appears to have crashed in an area of remote, mountainous terrain,” she said. As he awaited rescue, Eugene died.

The Alaska Beacon reported that the NTSB claimed the plane crashed due to Eugene loading the plane beyond capacity, as well as him and to tying moose antlers to one of the plane’s wings. The moose antlers are reportedly common in rural Alaska. KYUK reports that Mary filed a lawsuit rejecting NTSB's findings and blamed Eugene's employers for forceing to fly excessive hours.

The lawsuit claims Eugene's employers were negligent by forcing him to work excessive hours, work without adequate sleep, and work under unreasonably dangerous circumstances. The lawsuit also noted the moose antlers and claimed Eugene was forced to do so without the required permit. The lawsuit also claimed that his employers didn't provide adequate workers' compensation insurance.

Mary's lawyer, Myron Angstman, says, "If you don't have workers' comp, then you're open to a lawsuit, and this is the key part. You are unable to blame the employee for what happened. That's just simply what the law says."

The grieving widow shared a message on Instagram one year after her husband's death

"Today marks the unfortunate anniversary of the loss of Buzzy, a man who was a husband, a father, community leader, and rock for so many," she wrote. "His loss weighs heavily still on our hearts and the hearts of countless others, but we remember his legacy today and cherish the time he spent on this earth making people smile and helping whoever he could in the time he had with us."