Alvin A. Anderson

Alvin "Al" Anderson, 62, left Moses Lake on August 4 on his way to the great eternal fishing hole. Still waiting on earth are the great loves of his life: his wife of 23 years Donna, his daughters and their children. Al was a devoted father to his girls. Their fondest memories are of fishing with Dad every Saturday at a different lake, and his "I love you" every night, no matter how much trouble they might be in. He was great at making his daughters feel like princesses, but also made sure they were prepared to cope in a man's world, knowing things like the difference between headers and dual exhaust. Al's sweet nature went beyond just his family. When he sent roses to Donna at Food Pavilion where she worked, he would also make a point of sending one to each of the ladies at the store, so they wouldn't feel left out. For their fifteenth anniversary, Al and a friend came to Food Pavilion and serenaded Donna right in the middle of the store. Al made his living working construction jobs all over Grant County. He had been a proud member of Operating Engineers 370 since 1972. At one point, he took a short break to build custom houses, and found that he also had a talent for carpentry. He returned to the Operating Engineers and worked at Duncan Crane (which he considered his second family) until his health forced him to retire in 2006. Many men, faced with a diagnosis of liver cancer, would have sat back and waited for the disease to take them away. Not Al. He loved a good fight. His favorite movies were westerns, and he faced down cancer with true grit. His initial prognosis of six months to a year to live turned into four years by the time he was finished. He hit cancer head-on and made it work hard for every inch of him that it claimed. Al and Donna were enthusiastically involved in the Relay for Life, a cause which took on more meaning once Al was among the survivors. He worked alongside Donna, answering phones, organizing teams, and even dressing up for the Mr. Relay beauty pageant for several years. He kept his good humor through the whole thing as well, bringing donuts to his chemo appointments and teasing his doctor and the “chemo cuties” mercilessly. He could take it as well as dish it out. One of his nieces addressed him as “Uncle Fester” once, and the name stuck ever after. Al loved life. He enjoyed trivial things like go-karts, curly fries, and his 1999 Corvette with gusto, and still always remembered what was important: his family and friends. Left to miss him are Donna, his wife of 23 years, his beautiful daughters, Laure (Craig ) Nelson and their children Mason and Lyndsey of Richland; Christy (Wes) Rose and their children Wes Jr, Alisa, Hunter, Cassidy and Gunner all of Soap Lake; Amanda (Jerry) Moncada and their children Brendan, Ashlyn, Keya of Moses Lake; and his two Yorkies, Bud and Sammy. He is also survived by his brother Jimmie (Pat) Anderson of Moses Lake and sister Lynda (Mel) Smith of Provo, Utah and their families; mother-in-law and father-in-law Ann and Willard Shults of Moses Lake; his brother-in-law Rick Copeland, sisters-in-law LeAnn of Louisiana and Angel of Alaska. Al is also remembered by close friends who provided awesome support through his cancer: Gary Schoen, Don and Terry Moore, Tom Willner, the Food Pavilion family, and the Relay for Life family that he acquired over the years, as well as a small army of other friends. He was a past member of the Moses Lake Eagles lodge, Elk Lodge, and American Legion. A barbecue to celebrate Al’s life will be held at Don and Terry Moore’s house on August 14, 2010 at 4:00 P.M. The address is 1216 Larson Blvd. in Moses Lake. Al’s family would especially like to thank Annie Anderson, Dr. Kearns, Dr. Mitchell Garrison, the Chemo Cuties and the team at the hospice - Gabby, Pat, Judy, Mark and Jennifer – for their support during his last days. We will all miss him very much, but are happy that he was in good hands and is now in better hands yet. Catch lots of fish until we come to join you, Al.

Alvin A. Anderson

February 1, 1948 - August 4, 2010