Alfred (Alf) Riley Crowder
November 19, 1921 – June 29, 2013
Alf passed away peacefully Saturday June 29, 2013, nearing his 92nd birthday. He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by his children; Jim (Jean) Crowder, Judy (Gary) Airey; five grandchildren (and spouses), nine great-grandchildren, and many extended family and friends. Alf was predeceased by his wife, Evelyn.
Born in Gibson’s Landing, BC, Alf grew up and attended school in Vancouver and graduated from Vancouver Tech. Following the outbreak of WWII in 1941, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy at Esquimalt, BC and trained at Tecumseh Naval Centre in Calgary, Alberta. Further training occurred in Nova Scotia prior to Alf’s posting in Bermuda, Ireland, and finally in the North Atlantic on convoy duty. From 1941 to 1946, he saw active service on a number of corvettes escorting the convoys from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Northern Ireland as a Chief Petty Officer.
After WWII, Alf lived and worked in the Alberni Valley and Parksville/Qualicum area as a machinist and a refrigeration and appliance technician. He owned his own business for many years. Alf had a great love of soccer and baseball and devoted much of his time to both coaching and playing.
Since 1946, Alf raised his family and was devoted to his community both through the Elks and Royal Canadian Legion. As an Elk member for over 65 years, he attained a Life Membership in the Elks Grand Lodge and Somass Alberni Valley Legion. In 1993, Alf was instrumental in the creation of the Parksville/Qualicum Elks Lodge # 589.
A Memorial Service will take place on Wednesday July 10th at 1:00 pm at the Qualicum Beach
Legion on Veteran’s Way in Qualicum Beach.
Internment to take place at Alberni Valley Memorial Gardens in Port Alberni at 4:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Alf’s memory to the “Elks and Royal Purple Fund For Children”, Suite 100, 2629 – 29th Avenue, Regina SK S4S 2N9 or on-line at
www.elks-canada.org.
To send a condolence to the family please visit
www.yatesfuneral.ca
YATES FUNERAL SERVICE & CREMATORIUM
(250-248-5859) in care of arrangements.