- Date Of Birth: April 23, 1927
- Date Of Death: June 8, 2014
- State: Indiana
Veteran United Airline pilot,” revered” father, grandfather and “favored” uncle, Alvin “Al” J. Menting died June 8, 2014, in Dujarie nursing facility at Holy Cross Village, Notre Dame, IN. He was 87 years old.
He is survived by his widow, Montel Hawkesworth Menting, four children, Christina Marie (Tina), Terri Lynn Setnik, Anthony ( Frank(Tony), and Ted Andrew, and seven grandchildren.
One of 12 children growing up on a dairy farm in Phlox, Wisconsin, Al has scores of nieces and nephews scattered throughout the Midwest and the country.
He enlisted in the Navy Air Force during World War II, then later started with United Airlines where he marked 33 years employment when retiring in1981. Al and Montel lived in Palo Alto, CA. for many years while Al had one of United’s choice routes piloting 747’s from San Francisco to Hawaii where they were also involved in several business ventures. He and Montel traveled extensively over the years and have been to so many places and countries that its difficult to list.
Al was one of the kindest and most considerate persons imaginable. He helped organize relief efforts for Oaxaca, Mexico, Palo Leyte, Philippines, aided patients at Stanford Hospital, was an officer in the Elks and helped care for a mobility restricted mother-in-law for years. He was just the kind of wonderful uncle you hoped for.
He was truly a technical genius and his vehicles and home showed it. He built his own swimming pool and devised a solar heating system for his house and pool years before it became fashionable. His vehicles had so many “unique” and “original” features that their insides looked more like an airplane cockpit than a car.
While it has been painful to watch Al regress with his illnesses during the past few years, his far-flung family and numerous friends are grateful for the many treasured years of wonderful experiences they had with him. They also take consolation with the knowledge that after their retiring to Holy Cross Village in 2002 and Al became ill, he was treated with love,dignity, respect and professional skill during his time at Dujarie.
Gate of Heaven Cemetery Los Altos, CA
