Palmer resident, Albert Taylor, 81, died June 14 of natural causes. A private visitation was held on June 16 at Kehl’s Palmer Funeral Home in Palmer.

A celebration of life took place at his home on June 17 with a remembrance given by his brother John Taylor, and a special prayer given by family member Rodney Brooks, with other family members in attendance.

Mr. Taylor was born to Burt and Fern Taylor on April 11, 1928, in Des Moines, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his father, William Burton Taylor and great-grandson Ridge Minnick. In 1944 he enlisted in the Navy at 17 after completing high school. While in the Navy, he was in fire control and his job was setting the range of the big guns on a cruiser he served on during World War II. After the war he was moved to a destroyer and assigned to the Under Water Demolition Team because of his great swimming abilities. He cleared mines and explosives in various harbors throughout this Pacific Theater, and was involved in the Bikini bomb blasts in the Bikini Atolls. He was honorably discharged on April 11, 1949.

After the service, he went to Sweet Home, Ore., where he met and married Constance Forster on Jan. 9, 1953. Albert and Connie moved to Anchorage in 1974 and resided there through 1978 moving to Palmer in 1978 to the present. Albert’s work career included general foreman/superintendent timber faller, lumber grader, construction millwright throughout northern California and Oregon. In Alaska he was employed from 1974-1978 by Fluor, and worked on the Alaska oil pipeline from the North Slope to Valdez as a general foreman millwright. Beginning in 1979 he was employed at the diesel mechanic shop on Elmendorf Air Force Base and took care of maintenance and repair on diesel generators on base and sites throughout Alaska. He retired from Elmendorf in 1990. Albert was commended many times for his work achievements at Elmendorf, and was known by his co-workers as “The Best.”

Albert belonged to the National Rifle Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Millwright Union-Oregon, International Woodworkers Union-Oregon, carpenters and Piledrivers and Divers Unions-Alaska. 

His hobbies included fishing and hunting, and he enjoyed working on just about anything and building anything from scratch in his shop.

Albert was always committed to and loved his family. He strived to be the best at what he did, and his reputation throughout his career was always being the best. He was a strong believer in using common sense on everything.

He is survived by his wife, Constance Taylor, son and wife, Bill and Shari Taylor, daughter and husband Arlene and Eldon Jeffreys, grandchildren Michael Jeffreys, Gretchen Sonnentag, Leroy Jeffreys, Sharilyn Minnick, Kathleen Burris, great-grandchildren Jade Jeffreys, Trinity Jeffreys, Ellie Jeffreys, Delaney Burris, Ty Sonnentag, Dakota Inman, mother Edith Fern Truelove, brothers Robert Taylor, John Taylor, sisters, Betty Gourley, Ruby Womack, Dorothy Brockway, Joann LaBelle, Linda Taylor-Johnson, and many other relatives.

His ashes will be spread in Alaska and Oregon.