Albert John Wilmot, known to all as Al, passed away on Monday, December 17^th, 2012 at the age of 75. Al was born on August 11^th, 1937 in Bell, California to Carl Haviland Wilmot Sr. and Ruth Ditter Wilmot, the youngest of three boys. Al was raised in Burbank, CA, directly across the street from the Disney Studios, where he spent numerous afternoons sneaking onto the lot and subsequently outrunning the security guard with his friends. He was also big into falconry and belonged to the Southern California Falconry Club as a teen along with Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard. He graduated in 1955 from John Burroughs High School. He attended Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys, CA and Glendale Jr. College in Glendale, CA.

Al served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957, stationed in Germany and in the Army Reserves from 1957 to 1961. In the Army he was awarded the Motor Vehicle Mechanic and Good Conduct Badges and Sharpshooter Medal.

In 1966, Al traveled in a VW Bus all over Europe with his childhood friend, Dave Weeks. They visited Luxemburg, Iceland, Belgium, Netherlands, West Germany, East Germany, England, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Austria, Morocco, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Monaco, all for $5 (or less) a day over the span of six months.

In early 1968, Al was ahead of the times and met his future wife Nancy through “Computer Match”, a computer dating service, for a $5 charge. For their first date, they went to see Grand Prix starring James Garner and then went for coffee afterward at Spivey’s Drive-In Restaurant, which was THE place to go. Nancy definitely fell in love with Al’s dry and fun-loving sense of humor and adventurous spirit. He always had a joke to tell in his usual deadpan style. Al’s first Christmas present to Nancy was this beautifully-wrapped gift box…filled with nothing (of course he had a real gift to give her after he got his chuckle). He was also the most handsome, gentle, kind, loyal, loving man she had ever met and she couldn’t believe he hadn’t been snatched up before she met him (he also considered himself the luckiest man in the world meeting Nancy). After two and a half years of dating filled with long motorcycle rides, skiing in Lake Tahoe, driving their matching Mustangs and just having fun together, Al proposed on Winchester Boulevard in Nancy’s Mustang on the side of the road while apartment hunting and the rest, as they say, is history.

Al and Nancy got married on a very hot October 10^th, 1970 in San Jose, CA. Those who attended still say it was one of the most fun weddings they’ve ever been to. Less than two years later, they had a son, Christopher, followed by daughter Holly two years later. Al was a devoted, loving and hands-on dad who would have done anything for his kids. He was involved in the YMCA Indian Guides and Indian Princesses, soccer, T-ball, baseball, basketball and Cub Scouts. The family spent many weekends at the beach in Capitola and camping trips to San Jose Family Camp, Yosemite, Morro Bay, Big Basin and the family's favorite D.L. Bliss State Park at Lake Tahoe. One of the most memorable vacations was a month-long motor home trip across the US, hitting all the national parks and then some on the way to Minnesota to visit family. The highlight of that trip was breaking down for several days in the small Minnesota town of St. James and living in the motor home at the mechanic’s garage, next to a pawn shop. Sometimes the best times in life are not planned. Al never sweated the small stuff and just enjoyed life, as long as he was with his wife and kids, life was good. He was so easy going and went with the flow, always with a smile and a joke at the ready.

Al would also do anything to help someone out. He was one of the most generous and giving people with his time and energy and would drop whatever he was doing if someone needed him. An example of how he was always willing to lend a hand is about 25 years ago, a few days after Christmas, Al was bringing the garbage cans to the curb for pick-up the next day. He noticed a small Christmas tree on his critically ill next door neighbor’s curb sitting in the tall grass and decided to help him out by cutting it up and putting it in the street for recycling. So he got out the saw and hacked away – only to realize when he got to the trunk of the tree that it had been planted in the ground and he had just chopped it down! Luckily the neighbors had a good sense of humor and thought it was hilarious!

He was a hero to his daughter Holly, the perfect example of what a man should be and how he should treat women, as evidenced by just how good he was to Nancy. He was an amazing father who never once let his kids down, and was always there for them no matter what, giving them the greatest gifts a father could give: his time and unconditional love and support.

Al took an early retirement from Loral Aerospace in 1994. He then went to work for Cupertino Electric until he retired in 2003. Al survived advanced prostate cancer in 2003 and Al and Nancy enjoyed their retirement together with vacations to Mexico, numerous trips to Hawaii (where they both went ziplining with niece Angie), Orlando, Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Minnesota, Phoenix, Napa, Monterey and San Antonio with cruises to Alaska, Mexico and the Panama Canal for their 40^th anniversary. Their retirement years were some of the best because they were able to spend every day together just doing whatever they wanted.

 

Al loved watching the San Francisco 49ers and attending many Neil Diamond concerts with Nancy and Holly. He enjoyed gardening, fixing things and being handy (there wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix), walking, composting, traveling, fishing, Peet’s coffee (his passion), See’s candy and spoiling his granddog, Rollo. Al was instrumental in nursing Rollo back to health after his ruptured back disc – he would not be doing as well as he is now without all the love, patience, attention, and exercises he helped Rollo with to get him walking again. Al loved all animals and always made sure they were looked after and fed, from cats that came to visit him in the garage to feeding the birds in the backyard every day – they knew where to find a kind and giving heart.

Al is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughter Holly and granddog Rollo of San Jose; brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and Arlene Wilmot of Medford, Oregon; nieces Pam Eubank of Moorpark, CA; Sherry Buchanan of Gardnerville, Nevada; nephew Paul Wilmot of Shady Cove, Oregon, and sister-in-law Fay Wilmot of Colorado Springs, CO.; local relatives: Dorothy Koskiniemi of San Francisco; Norma, Glen, Rusty and Randy Brynsvold and Barbara Cruise, Ann Marie and Ashley Eagle all of San Jose. And many, many in-laws, nieces and nephews and friends too numerous to include.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Ruth Wilmot; his son, Christopher; brother Carl Wilmot, Jr.; and nephew, Mark Wilmot.

Al will be missed by all who knew him. May the Lord bless our memory of Al.