Dad,

I will miss your hugs, but I will cerish your love always…

You are in my heart, my thoughts and my memories forever.

Your little girl forever!

Kim

Dad;

I will miss you and I loved you. Thank you for all of the lessons and good times.

Your Son.

-buzz

Karen and family,

Our thoughts are with you.

I first met Al because we shared an interest in cars. We both liked to drive fast and we managed to do it without getting in trouble. I’ll miss seeing him at all of the car shows and Corvette events. Drive safe, Al.

We are reluctant to let you go but I believe God needs you.We have great memories to sustain us.

Alan was my much-loved big brother. His passing leaves a terrible hole in my heart, but there are many wonderful memories in spite of it.

God bless, Alan.

Dear Karen and Family,

Our thoughts and Prayers are with you at this time. We all have great memories of Al. He will be missed by all that knew him. You have been great friends and much more. God be with you at this time of sadness.

Al was a great guy! I worked with Al off and on over the years. He was always a good listener and offered his support to help get things done when he could. Al provided a sort of level headed, even approach to things. He could be firm when needed and jovial most of all. I will miss Al and my heart goes out to all who grieve.

Jerry

Al was one of our dearest friends, who always referred to Bob as his “Brother”. We loved him and still do his wife Karen and family. We want the family and Al to know that they are all in our prayers daily. With our thoughts and prayers, Ruth and Bob

A Few Memories Of My Friend Al Vickery

who passed into the cosmos in May of 2002

When I first met Al, it was at Columbia Basin College, called CBC by the students. I had just got out of the Air force and was going back to school to finish a college degree that I had started years ago. And although I didn’t know it at the time, Al also had just got out of the Army. I believe that we first met in a Matrix Algebra class. Out of that class of twenty or thirty bright young faces, there were three or four older ones. The “Old Ones” were indeed older, perhaps wiser and certainly a lot more determined than the eighteen and nineteen year olds that were there. Al was returning to school after spending several years in the military. We “Old Ones” soon found out that we were in deep shit having been out of school for a number of years. But old age and treachery will always beat out youthful endeavor so we “Old Ones” formed a study group. Each of us would work all the problems that were assigned. Some times not so successfully. The “Old Ones” study group met at the CBC Lounge and over several cups of coffee we shared methods of problem solution. Al wouldn’t always share answers, but he did share the “how tos”. Al was very smart. He usually had all of the problems worked out. This was how I first came to know Al and first met with his generosity and intellect.

Later in school, we took the dreaded Calculus sequence. The problems that were assigned during these classes were hard for the “Old Ones”. We continued to have our “study group” but we picked up a new young member. This young man was a recent graduate of Richland High School and he was very smart. Chip liked to hear the military stories that we “Old Ones” told during our study sessions. And Al had his share of stories. But during the problems analysis sessions that were the purpose of our meeting, even Al had to own up to errors when Chip would point out the obvious solution that we all had missed.

We also took the Engineering Physics sequence together. Some where along about the middle of the sequence, Al and I both decided that we loved Physics. Yep, Al wanted to be a scientist and a Physicist in particular. The study group continued all through the school year, but those of the “Old Ones” in Physics took to meeting after school a few times a week for a couple of glasses of beer or the occasional mixed drink. By the third quarter, we also had the Physics teacher coming with us. This was great camaraderie. But as the end of the school year wore on, our Physics teacher began to come to class in a highly inebriated state. This irritated the “Old Ones” and by then, Al being the senior in our group, was elected to have a talk with the teacher and express our displeasure. We were there to learn and had paid good money for the class but were not getting value from the teacher. The talk didn’t help. That teacher had problems. Near the end of the school term, the “Old Ones” decided that the students shouldn’t have to suffer this teacher any longer. So, as a group, and with Al as our spokesperson, we went to the Dean of Students and asked for the removal of this teacher. During this situation, I learned about Al’s sense of fair play and high degree of personal ethics. Al did not believe in drinking on the job or coming to work drunk. Now after work, ahhhhh, that was another matter. Oh yes, the teacher was removed from his position but Al made an ‘A’ in the class any way.

Al and I both transferred to Washington State University, lovingly called WAZZU or Moo U by the students. WAZZU provided the best opportunity for us “Old Ones” to finish our BS degree. So we went to the big school and both enrolled in the College of Science. Al and I both had the GI bill to pay for part of our college expenses. But, it wasn’t enough. To help make ends meet, Al obtained a job in the Shock Dynamics Lab. This was basically indentured servitude. Now if you know Al, you know how fastidious he was about his clothing. Al was always very professionally dressed at work. The study of Shock Dynamics, a specialization in Physics, basically looks at the results of smashing a projectile into a target material at high velocity. This envolved the use of a lo-o-o-ng tube, from which the projectile was shot. The projectile is moved to high velocity with a tremendous discharge of compressed air. The projectile smashes into and through the target and comes to rest in a chamber of rags where its energy is expended. Al’s job envolved making up the instrumented targets the good part and cleaning up the bad part. He had to clean the “gun” and fish the projectile out of the pile of rags which were burned black from the energy expenditure. On many occassions, I would stop by to see if Al was ready to have a beer to find him covered from head to toe in soot. He looked like a chimney sweep. I would have to wait until he got cleaned up. Being soot covered and dirty in a public bar would not do. But the beers were oh so good.

So, we were poor students going to WAZZU and Al, with his wife Karen and their children were certainly the poorest of poor. But not in spirit, not in happiness and certainly not in the “zest for life”. Al and Karen lived on campus in the married-housing in a small prefab. The house was really small and it was set up on blocks so that there was a crawl space below it. Did I say it was small? I don’t know how Karen managed to find place for the kids, herself and Al but she did. It was so small that, during the summer we would visit outside and sit around in lawn chairs and drink beer, tell stories and discuss work or school. With all the money that Al made and it wasn’t much there wasn’t a lot left over for the occasional beer at the tavern. So Al tried his hand at home brewed beer. I can remember some of the first attempts. The beer was put up in quart beer bottles and stored by the case under the house in the crawl space. Some of those first brews were truly awful tasting but they were very alcoholic and one of those quarts could give you quite a good buzz. I remember one time I dropped by Al’s prefab to find him dragging case after case of beer out from under the house. The smell of home brew hung in the air as thick as if you were in a brewery. Several cases of bottles had exploded on a warm summer day. Al must have thought that he was back in the military and under attack. Later after the cleanup, Al guessed that he might have capped that batch a little early so that excess fermentation continued in the bottles building up enough pressure to pop the caps off. It was a messy day that day.

Al loved fast cars. He had this corvette that had the engine in it worked over and a big carburetor installed. It would flatout get up and move. Al loved to terrorize the back roads of the Palouse. This love of fast cars and “neat” hotrods continued all through out Al’s life.

During the time at WAZZU, Al loved to play golf. And he was a pretty good golfer and played in several tournaments. Now the golf courses of WAZZU were used by the golfers during the day but at night, during the summer, they were utilized for other purposes. It would not have been unusual for a golfer to happen upon a couple that had fallen asleep after their passions were spent. If you knew how polite Al was, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Al, upon chancing upon a couple in disarray would say, “Pardon me, but may I play through?”

I believe that Al received his Physics degree in 1973. What we didn’t realize, in our passion for Physics, was that there was no demand for people with Physics degrees. In the early 1970s, Congress had shut the money off to NASA and NASA had lain off Physicists by the dozens. The job market had dried up. So Al began taking classes in Electrical Engineering. For someone who had mastered the Physics disipline, this was an easy lateral arabesque. But Al was looking for work and he discovered the Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company ARHCO in Richland Washington was in need of an Instrument Engineer. He secured that job and moved to the Tri-Cities Washington to work at Hanford before finishing the EE degree. I missed Al and the sounding board he provided for problem analysis.

Eventually, I was able to secure a job with the Westinghouse Hanford Company in Richland Washington working on the Fast Flux Test Facility FFTF in Operations. After a year of work in Operations, I longed to get into Engineering. This was not possible at Westinghouse, but I contacted my old friend Al, to see if any opportunities were present at ARHCO. And yes, he was able to put in a good word for me with the management and I was able to go to work in the same group that Al was working in. This was good work and for a few years we all worked together. The pay was OK but was not great and both Al and I had fallen behind our contemporaries in pay because of our time in the military service. I’m not sure how Al got wind of the work that was going on in Saudia Arabia by the ARAMCO Company, but he did and was able to secure an overseas job. By this time I had made the transition into Management and was trying it out to see if I would like to be a manager.

It was about a year later, that I had a communication from Al. He told me that the ARAMCO Company was looking to hire a lot of engineers and that he believed I could get a job in his organization. He said the pay was truly outstanding, with the opportunity to bank nearly the equivalent of my existing salary. The local downtown living conditions sucked but the professional staff lived in an American camp that was tolerable. By that time I was disillusioned with the pay that was supposed to result from management and the methods of management at Hanford and I was ready to follow. My wife, Charlotte thought that I was crazy and that Al was already craz, but I was determined to improved our financial condition as much as Al had been determined to improve the financial condition of his family. So we followed Al and Karen to Saudia Arabia, the armpit of the world.

Since we were Americans isolated in a foreign country and culture, many families were very close. We all got together often to share home brew illegal in Arabia and to visit and commiserate. During this time overseas, Al had the opportunity to become a Manager and found that he liked it. So Al became determined to be the best Manager he could be and enrolled in night school in order to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Administration. I thought he was nuts, because by this time he was almost forty. But Al persevered and obtained that degree. After three years or so with ARAMCO, Al and his family left Arabia for the United States and a job on the East Coast. After another year, my family and I left and returned to Kennewick Washington and I returned to work at Hanford.

Eventually the prodigal son returned home. Yes, within a few years Al and his family returned to the Tri-Cities where Al held several jobs for several companies. In his career, he was a Manager, Consultant and Independent Contributor. Al was the only guy that I knew who consistently had his resume up to date and sent out into the job market. He said he needed to determine his worth on the market and to always have some thing in the pipeline. I believe that Al was always looking for a new problem to solve.

Al was a gracious and generous host and had people over to his house for meals and for visits frequently. Al had a wry sense of humor and ever now and then it would sneak out in some comment or statement. He was this way for as long as I new him. He loved to barbeque and later in life he developed a taste for fine wines which he liked to share with his guests. I will miss Al, his generosity, his humor and his intellect.

Our thoughts are with Karen and the family.

Dan and Charlotte Acree

Alan was an awesome brother-in-law. He helped me through some real rough times. He was a real morale booster. He was always ready to help anyone who needed it.

Whenever I would call Karen, he always had someting funny to say and you could hear that shy smile over the phone lines.

I will really miss him.

Love You Al.

Romae.

Thank you for the chance to say how much I admire Al and the entire family. I remember well how exceedingly friendly and welcoming you’ll were us when we first moved to 17th Ave all those years ago. You’ll remain one of the most special families I’ve ever had the luck know. Al had the gift of making everyone feel worthy of his friendship. I am so sorry that he has gone from his loving family and all who knew him.

Dear Buzz and Karen,

I was very sorry to hear about Al. My thouhgts and prayers go out to you. When I think back on the people I knew in Saudi Arabia your family is one of the first to come to mind. I looked up to Al and I appreciated the warmth and kindness your family showed me. I pray that you will have some peace and comfort at this time when you need it most.

With love,

Steven and Heather Fenn

Karen;

I can’t possibly express my sadness of Al’s passing. All I can tell you is how lucky I was to have the pleasure of knowing him and calling him my friend. He was one in a million!! All those wonderful dinners and pool parties will always be in my memories…of Al telling lymericks while swimming in the pool or getting the dogs on the floaties.

I will always treasure the times I got to spend with you and Al.

my deepest sympathies to you. He was and is unforgettable.

Take Care!! Pam.

The one characteristic of Al and Karen that stands out above the rest is their generosity. My children have the fondest memories of enjoying a craft session by the pool in their back yard, learning to make beautiful TShirts by using a bunch of celery and some paint! We also remember one of the dogs riding the innertube in the pool and seemingly to actually enjoy it! Their back yard could only be described as paradise-like, so serene and relaxing.

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to you and your family, Karen, at this time. We have all been blessed to have known Al.

Love, Debbie Richman

Dear family of Al,

I had the pleasure of working with Al in the last few years. Al was always helpful and insightful. His knowledge and assistance made my job easier. It sadden me to hear of his death. I pray that the LORD will provide you comfort and strength.

God Bless.

Jim Schaefer

Dearest Karen and Family,

My heart felt sympathy to you and your family for your loss.

Al’s passing is indeed a tragic loss for all of us. Al was a good man, a kind and generous man, a funny man and last but not least a very charming man. His charm is one of the first of his much loved personality traits that I had the pleasure of experiencing! It wasn’t too long after I started working here on site that I had the pleasure of meeting Al. I remember him distinctly strolling into our trailer you know that casual pace of his out in the 200 East area where I was introduced to him as the new secretary of the group. He made a couple of nice comments and soon told me that he could get 2 camels and a goat for me if I died my hair blonde. I told him “Thank you, I am assuming this is a compliment,” as I chuckled! He said “Yes, In Saudi, it is a compliment or something of that nature! Al has been very dear to me every since this meeting!

We also shared a love of Spicy Food often eating Death Dogs from the Ryders Sausage truck or bringing in different types of salsas or hot sauces to see who had the highest tolerance! Al always won Hands down! He was also the one who taught me that if you are chopping jalapenos even if wearing a gloveit is best to give your hands a good scrubbing before you use the restroom! So noted Al!!!

Al was also a mentor for me. He had high hopes for me and was very supportive in my endeavors, no matter how large or small they may be. He always encouraged me to keep trying, just one step at a time!

I will miss Al very much but his presence is still very much felt and I believe that this is how it will be for all who knew him.

I’ll miss you Al!

Karen Bates aka “Bates”

To my Friend Al

Here is what I would say in the words of Kahlil Gibran expressed so beautifully in “THE PROPHET”

FRIENDSHIP.

And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship. And he answered, saying:

Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him in peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, not do you withhold the “ay”. And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For what which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend. If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. For what is your friend that you should seek in him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live. For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing the pleasures. For in the dew of little things

the heart finds its morning and its refreshed.

Al My friend

Bubba as we used to call each other, in THE SWEETNESS OF OUR FRIENDSHIP THERE WILL BE A LAUGHTER AS WE USED TO HAVE, AND WE WILL BE SHARING A GLASS OR TWO AS I REMINESCE A GREAT FRIEND WHO WILL ENDURE IN MY HEART AND SOUL FOREVER!

Hard to believe. Last saw Al in the Spring of 62 in Ellensburg. I will never forget the good times we all had especially with the drag racing of his 53 Ford at Deerpark outside of Spokane. One time I was driving all else drinking beer and as we went through Spokane After picking-up my girlfriend there and Hary Meloney’s, Al was making an incredible siren sound out the window on Riverside drive. Well a mile later on Division we were stopped and searched for a siren. Al had to get out and demonstrate for the officier who couldn’t believe it, he lets us go and told us to cool it. Does that sound like the business man Alan you knew recently? One more for Susan his sister,that was the night Al, Harry Meloney and Jim Hoffme all visted Susan in old Kadalec hospital late one night and brought her a beer so we could party together. I hope the Vic man is at the biggest party for all times. I wish we could have reconnected sometime in our life, but that was not to be. My best wishes to all of his family and do take care of you all.With the fondest memories of good times and a whole lot of joy. Jim Hoff

Dear Karen,

Our love and prayers are with you and your children at this time.

Our memories of you and Al when we came to Dhahran 20+ years ago are of warm, sincere, and caring friends. You are in our prayers. May the blessing of family and friends surround you with love, support, and comfort at this time. Camile & Fred

Dad,

You were always there for me, through all the good and bad times. You made me understand that life isn’t always fun, but there is always something to learn from every mistake and that I was to get up and keep trying. You always gave me a big bear hug whenever I needed one. You helped me so much with my five children and life. Whenever I needed help with my college courses you were there to help, especially if it was chemistry or calculus. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for you.

I remember…

The times we would put the top down on your mustang at the first fall of snow and drive around drinking a Tom & Jerry to keep us warm. That was my special time with you.

When I was around 8 years old you would put us three kids in the back of the red Torino with blankets on, you and mom were in the front of the car and we would drive around Pullman with the top of the car down at nighttime.

When I was about 12 yrs. old we would have spagehetti dinners and you would get out your botabag. Of course us kids weren’t much good at getting the stream to hit us in the mouth. You also had those cool beer glasses that were about 2 feet tall with a bubble on the end of them. Us kids would fill them with water and try and drink out of them. You could drink out of them okay,until you hit the bubble part and then you were covered with water.

I loved the neighborhood parties that you and mom would have at the house on Palouse Street. You would pull in big sheets of plywood and cover the family room floor for everyone to dance on. One time you were dancing with a lamp shade on your head.

Also at the house on Palouse Street you had mom go up in the attic to close some of the vents and she passed out and one of her legs came right though the living room ceiling.

For your 30th Birthday we through you a surprise birthday party…we put Happy 30th Birthday in big letters on the living room wall which you never noticed people were coming over and after about 15 people in the house you realized it was a party for you. You had a blast.

When the kids and I lived by you in the Tri-Cities we enjoyed coming to your house and decorating it for the holidays. For Valentines one year we put paper hearts with the sweetheart candy sayings on them all over your front yard. For your 50th Birthday we made a big sign with balloons and attached it to your garage. For Halloween we would carve tons of enormous pumkins and bring them all over and put them all in your yard. At Christmas time we would hang lights up everywhere so Santa would find your house. For your 60th Birthday I called a radio station and won you balloons and a party for you and your friends at a hotel.. Mom told you that she had to go and pick a package up.When you got into the bar area you were totally surprised. You got out on the dance floor and danced all night.

For my 35th Birthday we went to your company picnic in Howard Amon Park and you got up on the stage and sang “Happy Birthday” to me.

I’ll never forget the time you called my house in Colorado looing for me and you told the boys that you were Al Vickery, and they said they didn’t know any Al Vickery so you hung up and called my cell. I was so glad you called me because it was after 9pm and I was driving and lost in Denver. You told me not to worry that you loved me and that you were proud of me and that I would find my way hojme if I just stayed calm. You kept talking to me and told me about your phone call with the kids. I told you that all they know you by is grandpa. You had a good laugh and by time we got off the phone I was calm and found my way home.

You always had a blonde joke for me when I came over. When I moved away you always had to get on the phone and tell me your lastest joke. I sure will miss them.

In my eyes I see you wearing a white golf shirt, your red sweater on with your beautiful grin ….

I love you daddy…Keri

Grandpa,

I will miss your bowls of ice cream that you said had little bugs in them. I will always remember the time I was sent to time out on the stairs and after sitting there a minute I realized there was a HUGE centipede, so I sat there and cried. You always told us funny stories to make us happy and laugh. You always let me have fun crunching the cans in the monster masher.

I will always know you are in my heart…Devin

Grandpa,

I remember sitting on the kitchen floor with you grinding up the fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving dinner. You taught me a lot about cars. You let me play in your pool and you swam with me and you always made me a big bowl of ice cream. I love you and miss you…Benny

My thoughts are with you, take good care of yourselves and have a “wicked cocktail” in his honor for me!

We are reluctant to let you go but I believe God needs your help. We have great memories to sustain us.

I am so very sorry. Buzz, I think your Dad is a wonderful man and was very sorry that we did not get a chance to work with him here at Duratek. I spent many hours working with him at Fluor Federal Services and have a huge respect for him.

Buzz and Tabitha; my thoughts and prayers are with you. Al was a neat guy that sure enjoyed his red truck!

Don

Are prayers are with you during this time of sorrow.

Although I only had the pleasure of working with Al for a brief time, he will truly be missed. His kindness, compassion, and respect for all of us on the project team was evident. My prayers are with you Al and your family.

Dad,

I will miss your hugs, but I will cerish your love always…

You are in my heart, my thoughts and my memories forever.

Your little girl forever!

Kim

Dad;

I will miss you and I loved you. Thank you for all of the lessons and good times.

Your Son.

-buzz

Karen and family,

Our thoughts are with you.

I first met Al because we shared an interest in cars. We both liked to drive fast and we managed to do it without getting in trouble. I’ll miss seeing him at all of the car shows and Corvette events. Drive safe, Al.

We are reluctant to let you go but I believe God needs you.We have great memories to sustain us.

Alan was my much-loved big brother. His passing leaves a terrible hole in my heart, but there are many wonderful memories in spite of it.

God bless, Alan.

Dear Karen and Family,

Our thoughts and Prayers are with you at this time. We all have great memories of Al. He will be missed by all that knew him. You have been great friends and much more. God be with you at this time of sadness.

Al was a great guy! I worked with Al off and on over the years. He was always a good listener and offered his support to help get things done when he could. Al provided a sort of level headed, even approach to things. He could be firm when needed and jovial most of all. I will miss Al and my heart goes out to all who grieve.

Jerry

Al was one of our dearest friends, who always referred to Bob as his “Brother”. We loved him and still do his wife Karen and family. We want the family and Al to know that they are all in our prayers daily. With our thoughts and prayers, Ruth and Bob

A Few Memories Of My Friend Al Vickery

who passed into the cosmos in May of 2002

When I first met Al, it was at Columbia Basin College, called CBC by the students. I had just got out of the Air force and was going back to school to finish a college degree that I had started years ago. And although I didn’t know it at the time, Al also had just got out of the Army. I believe that we first met in a Matrix Algebra class. Out of that class of twenty or thirty bright young faces, there were three or four older ones. The “Old Ones” were indeed older, perhaps wiser and certainly a lot more determined than the eighteen and nineteen year olds that were there. Al was returning to school after spending several years in the military. We “Old Ones” soon found out that we were in deep shit having been out of school for a number of years. But old age and treachery will always beat out youthful endeavor so we “Old Ones” formed a study group. Each of us would work all the problems that were assigned. Some times not so successfully. The “Old Ones” study group met at the CBC Lounge and over several cups of coffee we shared methods of problem solution. Al wouldn’t always share answers, but he did share the “how tos”. Al was very smart. He usually had all of the problems worked out. This was how I first came to know Al and first met with his generosity and intellect.

Later in school, we took the dreaded Calculus sequence. The problems that were assigned during these classes were hard for the “Old Ones”. We continued to have our “study group” but we picked up a new young member. This young man was a recent graduate of Richland High School and he was very smart. Chip liked to hear the military stories that we “Old Ones” told during our study sessions. And Al had his share of stories. But during the problems analysis sessions that were the purpose of our meeting, even Al had to own up to errors when Chip would point out the obvious solution that we all had missed.

We also took the Engineering Physics sequence together. Some where along about the middle of the sequence, Al and I both decided that we loved Physics. Yep, Al wanted to be a scientist and a Physicist in particular. The study group continued all through the school year, but those of the “Old Ones” in Physics took to meeting after school a few times a week for a couple of glasses of beer or the occasional mixed drink. By the third quarter, we also had the Physics teacher coming with us. This was great camaraderie. But as the end of the school year wore on, our Physics teacher began to come to class in a highly inebriated state. This irritated the “Old Ones” and by then, Al being the senior in our group, was elected to have a talk with the teacher and express our displeasure. We were there to learn and had paid good money for the class but were not getting value from the teacher. The talk didn’t help. That teacher had problems. Near the end of the school term, the “Old Ones” decided that the students shouldn’t have to suffer this teacher any longer. So, as a group, and with Al as our spokesperson, we went to the Dean of Students and asked for the removal of this teacher. During this situation, I learned about Al’s sense of fair play and high degree of personal ethics. Al did not believe in drinking on the job or coming to work drunk. Now after work, ahhhhh, that was another matter. Oh yes, the teacher was removed from his position but Al made an ‘A’ in the class any way.

Al and I both transferred to Washington State University, lovingly called WAZZU or Moo U by the students. WAZZU provided the best opportunity for us “Old Ones” to finish our BS degree. So we went to the big school and both enrolled in the College of Science. Al and I both had the GI bill to pay for part of our college expenses. But, it wasn’t enough. To help make ends meet, Al obtained a job in the Shock Dynamics Lab. This was basically indentured servitude. Now if you know Al, you know how fastidious he was about his clothing. Al was always very professionally dressed at work. The study of Shock Dynamics, a specialization in Physics, basically looks at the results of smashing a projectile into a target material at high velocity. This envolved the use of a lo-o-o-ng tube, from which the projectile was shot. The projectile is moved to high velocity with a tremendous discharge of compressed air. The projectile smashes into and through the target and comes to rest in a chamber of rags where its energy is expended. Al’s job envolved making up the instrumented targets the good part and cleaning up the bad part. He had to clean the “gun” and fish the projectile out of the pile of rags which were burned black from the energy expenditure. On many occassions, I would stop by to see if Al was ready to have a beer to find him covered from head to toe in soot. He looked like a chimney sweep. I would have to wait until he got cleaned up. Being soot covered and dirty in a public bar would not do. But the beers were oh so good.

So, we were poor students going to WAZZU and Al, with his wife Karen and their children were certainly the poorest of poor. But not in spirit, not in happiness and certainly not in the “zest for life”. Al and Karen lived on campus in the married-housing in a small prefab. The house was really small and it was set up on blocks so that there was a crawl space below it. Did I say it was small? I don’t know how Karen managed to find place for the kids, herself and Al but she did. It was so small that, during the summer we would visit outside and sit around in lawn chairs and drink beer, tell stories and discuss work or school. With all the money that Al made and it wasn’t much there wasn’t a lot left over for the occasional beer at the tavern. So Al tried his hand at home brewed beer. I can remember some of the first attempts. The beer was put up in quart beer bottles and stored by the case under the house in the crawl space. Some of those first brews were truly awful tasting but they were very alcoholic and one of those quarts could give you quite a good buzz. I remember one time I dropped by Al’s prefab to find him dragging case after case of beer out from under the house. The smell of home brew hung in the air as thick as if you were in a brewery. Several cases of bottles had exploded on a warm summer day. Al must have thought that he was back in the military and under attack. Later after the cleanup, Al guessed that he might have capped that batch a little early so that excess fermentation continued in the bottles building up enough pressure to pop the caps off. It was a messy day that day.

Al loved fast cars. He had this corvette that had the engine in it worked over and a big carburetor installed. It would flatout get up and move. Al loved to terrorize the back roads of the Palouse. This love of fast cars and “neat” hotrods continued all through out Al’s life.

During the time at WAZZU, Al loved to play golf. And he was a pretty good golfer and played in several tournaments. Now the golf courses of WAZZU were used by the golfers during the day but at night, during the summer, they were utilized for other purposes. It would not have been unusual for a golfer to happen upon a couple that had fallen asleep after their passions were spent. If you knew how polite Al was, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Al, upon chancing upon a couple in disarray would say, “Pardon me, but may I play through?”

I believe that Al received his Physics degree in 1973. What we didn’t realize, in our passion for Physics, was that there was no demand for people with Physics degrees. In the early 1970s, Congress had shut the money off to NASA and NASA had lain off Physicists by the dozens. The job market had dried up. So Al began taking classes in Electrical Engineering. For someone who had mastered the Physics disipline, this was an easy lateral arabesque. But Al was looking for work and he discovered the Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company ARHCO in Richland Washington was in need of an Instrument Engineer. He secured that job and moved to the Tri-Cities Washington to work at Hanford before finishing the EE degree. I missed Al and the sounding board he provided for problem analysis.

Eventually, I was able to secure a job with the Westinghouse Hanford Company in Richland Washington working on the Fast Flux Test Facility FFTF in Operations. After a year of work in Operations, I longed to get into Engineering. This was not possible at Westinghouse, but I contacted my old friend Al, to see if any opportunities were present at ARHCO. And yes, he was able to put in a good word for me with the management and I was able to go to work in the same group that Al was working in. This was good work and for a few years we all worked together. The pay was OK but was not great and both Al and I had fallen behind our contemporaries in pay because of our time in the military service. I’m not sure how Al got wind of the work that was going on in Saudia Arabia by the ARAMCO Company, but he did and was able to secure an overseas job. By this time I had made the transition into Management and was trying it out to see if I would like to be a manager.

It was about a year later, that I had a communication from Al. He told me that the ARAMCO Company was looking to hire a lot of engineers and that he believed I could get a job in his organization. He said the pay was truly outstanding, with the opportunity to bank nearly the equivalent of my existing salary. The local downtown living conditions sucked but the professional staff lived in an American camp that was tolerable. By that time I was disillusioned with the pay that was supposed to result from management and the methods of management at Hanford and I was ready to follow. My wife, Charlotte thought that I was crazy and that Al was already craz, but I was determined to improved our financial condition as much as Al had been determined to improve the financial condition of his family. So we followed Al and Karen to Saudia Arabia, the armpit of the world.

Since we were Americans isolated in a foreign country and culture, many families were very close. We all got together often to share home brew illegal in Arabia and to visit and commiserate. During this time overseas, Al had the opportunity to become a Manager and found that he liked it. So Al became determined to be the best Manager he could be and enrolled in night school in order to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Administration. I thought he was nuts, because by this time he was almost forty. But Al persevered and obtained that degree. After three years or so with ARAMCO, Al and his family left Arabia for the United States and a job on the East Coast. After another year, my family and I left and returned to Kennewick Washington and I returned to work at Hanford.

Eventually the prodigal son returned home. Yes, within a few years Al and his family returned to the Tri-Cities where Al held several jobs for several companies. In his career, he was a Manager, Consultant and Independent Contributor. Al was the only guy that I knew who consistently had his resume up to date and sent out into the job market. He said he needed to determine his worth on the market and to always have some thing in the pipeline. I believe that Al was always looking for a new problem to solve.

Al was a gracious and generous host and had people over to his house for meals and for visits frequently. Al had a wry sense of humor and ever now and then it would sneak out in some comment or statement. He was this way for as long as I new him. He loved to barbeque and later in life he developed a taste for fine wines which he liked to share with his guests. I will miss Al, his generosity, his humor and his intellect.

Our thoughts are with Karen and the family.

Dan and Charlotte Acree

Alan was an awesome brother-in-law. He helped me through some real rough times. He was a real morale booster. He was always ready to help anyone who needed it.

Whenever I would call Karen, he always had someting funny to say and you could hear that shy smile over the phone lines.

I will really miss him.

Love You Al.

Romae.

Thank you for the chance to say how much I admire Al and the entire family. I remember well how exceedingly friendly and welcoming you’ll were us when we first moved to 17th Ave all those years ago. You’ll remain one of the most special families I’ve ever had the luck know. Al had the gift of making everyone feel worthy of his friendship. I am so sorry that he has gone from his loving family and all who knew him.

Dear Buzz and Karen,

I was very sorry to hear about Al. My thouhgts and prayers go out to you. When I think back on the people I knew in Saudi Arabia your family is one of the first to come to mind. I looked up to Al and I appreciated the warmth and kindness your family showed me. I pray that you will have some peace and comfort at this time when you need it most.

With love,

Steven and Heather Fenn

Karen;

I can’t possibly express my sadness of Al’s passing. All I can tell you is how lucky I was to have the pleasure of knowing him and calling him my friend. He was one in a million!! All those wonderful dinners and pool parties will always be in my memories…of Al telling lymericks while swimming in the pool or getting the dogs on the floaties.

I will always treasure the times I got to spend with you and Al.

my deepest sympathies to you. He was and is unforgettable.

Take Care!! Pam.

The one characteristic of Al and Karen that stands out above the rest is their generosity. My children have the fondest memories of enjoying a craft session by the pool in their back yard, learning to make beautiful TShirts by using a bunch of celery and some paint! We also remember one of the dogs riding the innertube in the pool and seemingly to actually enjoy it! Their back yard could only be described as paradise-like, so serene and relaxing.

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to you and your family, Karen, at this time. We have all been blessed to have known Al.

Love, Debbie Richman

Dear family of Al,

I had the pleasure of working with Al in the last few years. Al was always helpful and insightful. His knowledge and assistance made my job easier. It sadden me to hear of his death. I pray that the LORD will provide you comfort and strength.

God Bless.

Jim Schaefer

Dearest Karen and Family,

My heart felt sympathy to you and your family for your loss.

Al’s passing is indeed a tragic loss for all of us. Al was a good man, a kind and generous man, a funny man and last but not least a very charming man. His charm is one of the first of his much loved personality traits that I had the pleasure of experiencing! It wasn’t too long after I started working here on site that I had the pleasure of meeting Al. I remember him distinctly strolling into our trailer you know that casual pace of his out in the 200 East area where I was introduced to him as the new secretary of the group. He made a couple of nice comments and soon told me that he could get 2 camels and a goat for me if I died my hair blonde. I told him “Thank you, I am assuming this is a compliment,” as I chuckled! He said “Yes, In Saudi, it is a compliment or something of that nature! Al has been very dear to me every since this meeting!

We also shared a love of Spicy Food often eating Death Dogs from the Ryders Sausage truck or bringing in different types of salsas or hot sauces to see who had the highest tolerance! Al always won Hands down! He was also the one who taught me that if you are chopping jalapenos even if wearing a gloveit is best to give your hands a good scrubbing before you use the restroom! So noted Al!!!

Al was also a mentor for me. He had high hopes for me and was very supportive in my endeavors, no matter how large or small they may be. He always encouraged me to keep trying, just one step at a time!

I will miss Al very much but his presence is still very much felt and I believe that this is how it will be for all who knew him.

I’ll miss you Al!

Karen Bates aka “Bates”

To my Friend Al

Here is what I would say in the words of Kahlil Gibran expressed so beautifully in “THE PROPHET”

FRIENDSHIP.

And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship. And he answered, saying:

Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him in peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, not do you withhold the “ay”. And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For what which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend. If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. For what is your friend that you should seek in him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live. For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing the pleasures. For in the dew of little things

the heart finds its morning and its refreshed.

Al My friend

Bubba as we used to call each other, in THE SWEETNESS OF OUR FRIENDSHIP THERE WILL BE A LAUGHTER AS WE USED TO HAVE, AND WE WILL BE SHARING A GLASS OR TWO AS I REMINESCE A GREAT FRIEND WHO WILL ENDURE IN MY HEART AND SOUL FOREVER!

Hard to believe. Last saw Al in the Spring of 62 in Ellensburg. I will never forget the good times we all had especially with the drag racing of his 53 Ford at Deerpark outside of Spokane. One time I was driving all else drinking beer and as we went through Spokane After picking-up my girlfriend there and Hary Meloney’s, Al was making an incredible siren sound out the window on Riverside drive. Well a mile later on Division we were stopped and searched for a siren. Al had to get out and demonstrate for the officier who couldn’t believe it, he lets us go and told us to cool it. Does that sound like the business man Alan you knew recently? One more for Susan his sister,that was the night Al, Harry Meloney and Jim Hoffme all visted Susan in old Kadalec hospital late one night and brought her a beer so we could party together. I hope the Vic man is at the biggest party for all times. I wish we could have reconnected sometime in our life, but that was not to be. My best wishes to all of his family and do take care of you all.With the fondest memories of good times and a whole lot of joy. Jim Hoff

Dear Karen,

Our love and prayers are with you and your children at this time.

Our memories of you and Al when we came to Dhahran 20+ years ago are of warm, sincere, and caring friends. You are in our prayers. May the blessing of family and friends surround you with love, support, and comfort at this time. Camile & Fred

Dad,

You were always there for me, through all the good and bad times. You made me understand that life isn’t always fun, but there is always something to learn from every mistake and that I was to get up and keep trying. You always gave me a big bear hug whenever I needed one. You helped me so much with my five children and life. Whenever I needed help with my college courses you were there to help, especially if it was chemistry or calculus. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for you.

I remember…

The times we would put the top down on your mustang at the first fall of snow and drive around drinking a Tom & Jerry to keep us warm. That was my special time with you.

When I was around 8 years old you would put us three kids in the back of the red Torino with blankets on, you and mom were in the front of the car and we would drive around Pullman with the top of the car down at nighttime.

When I was about 12 yrs. old we would have spagehetti dinners and you would get out your botabag. Of course us kids weren’t much good at getting the stream to hit us in the mouth. You also had those cool beer glasses that were about 2 feet tall with a bubble on the end of them. Us kids would fill them with water and try and drink out of them. You could drink out of them okay,until you hit the bubble part and then you were covered with water.

I loved the neighborhood parties that you and mom would have at the house on Palouse Street. You would pull in big sheets of plywood and cover the family room floor for everyone to dance on. One time you were dancing with a lamp shade on your head.

Also at the house on Palouse Street you had mom go up in the attic to close some of the vents and she passed out and one of her legs came right though the living room ceiling.

For your 30th Birthday we through you a surprise birthday party…we put Happy 30th Birthday in big letters on the living room wall which you never noticed people were coming over and after about 15 people in the house you realized it was a party for you. You had a blast.

When the kids and I lived by you in the Tri-Cities we enjoyed coming to your house and decorating it for the holidays. For Valentines one year we put paper hearts with the sweetheart candy sayings on them all over your front yard. For your 50th Birthday we made a big sign with balloons and attached it to your garage. For Halloween we would carve tons of enormous pumkins and bring them all over and put them all in your yard. At Christmas time we would hang lights up everywhere so Santa would find your house. For your 60th Birthday I called a radio station and won you balloons and a party for you and your friends at a hotel.. Mom told you that she had to go and pick a package up.When you got into the bar area you were totally surprised. You got out on the dance floor and danced all night.

For my 35th Birthday we went to your company picnic in Howard Amon Park and you got up on the stage and sang “Happy Birthday” to me.

I’ll never forget the time you called my house in Colorado looing for me and you told the boys that you were Al Vickery, and they said they didn’t know any Al Vickery so you hung up and called my cell. I was so glad you called me because it was after 9pm and I was driving and lost in Denver. You told me not to worry that you loved me and that you were proud of me and that I would find my way hojme if I just stayed calm. You kept talking to me and told me about your phone call with the kids. I told you that all they know you by is grandpa. You had a good laugh and by time we got off the phone I was calm and found my way home.

You always had a blonde joke for me when I came over. When I moved away you always had to get on the phone and tell me your lastest joke. I sure will miss them.

In my eyes I see you wearing a white golf shirt, your red sweater on with your beautiful grin ….

I love you daddy…Keri

Grandpa,

I will miss your bowls of ice cream that you said had little bugs in them. I will always remember the time I was sent to time out on the stairs and after sitting there a minute I realized there was a HUGE centipede, so I sat there and cried. You always told us funny stories to make us happy and laugh. You always let me have fun crunching the cans in the monster masher.

I will always know you are in my heart…Devin

Grandpa,

I remember sitting on the kitchen floor with you grinding up the fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving dinner. You taught me a lot about cars. You let me play in your pool and you swam with me and you always made me a big bowl of ice cream. I love you and miss you…Benny

My thoughts are with you, take good care of yourselves and have a “wicked cocktail” in his honor for me!

We are reluctant to let you go but I believe God needs your help. We have great memories to sustain us.

I am so very sorry. Buzz, I think your Dad is a wonderful man and was very sorry that we did not get a chance to work with him here at Duratek. I spent many hours working with him at Fluor Federal Services and have a huge respect for him.

Buzz and Tabitha; my thoughts and prayers are with you. Al was a neat guy that sure enjoyed his red truck!

Don

Are prayers are with you during this time of sorrow.

Although I only had the pleasure of working with Al for a brief time, he will truly be missed. His kindness, compassion, and respect for all of us on the project team was evident. My prayers are with you Al and your family.

Al was inspirational to me when he was my Manager at Hanford in the mid 90’s. He made the world a much better place in so many ways. What a wonderful legacy for living life he leaves for all of us.