Alf Melvin Haley Sr., age 88, passed to eternal life on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 in Mount Vernon, WA.
He was born on March 1, 1921 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Iver and Anna Haley. He graduated from Minneapolis’ Roosevelt High School in 1939, attended the University of Minnesota, then joined the United States Navy, proudly serving on the USS Siboney.
On Feb 24, 1944 he married his beautiful wife, Carol Kaye Trimble, in Nooksak, Washington. Alf and Carol spent most of their early years in North Seattle where he worked as a driver/salesman for Coca Cola and Nalley Valley. During that time he was involved in the Sons of Norway and the Norwegian Male Chorus. He and Carol then joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, attending Seattle 5th Ward. He later moved Carol and their 5 children to Vashon Island where he also worked as a King County Sheriff Reserve. Eventually Federal Way became their home and he went to work for Archway Cookie Company, becoming active in the Elks as well as selling real estate and insurance. He retired in 1977 and among other things, opened Exact Saw and Mower in West Seattle, but in 1981 moved to Skagit County where he and Carol built their current home in Concrete, WA.
There they made wonderful friends and took great joy in keeping a large garden and being active in the Birdsview Grange.
Alf also enjoyed bowling, photography, calligraphy, cutting wood and listening to music, but his greatest pleasure was spending time with this wife, 5 children, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Friends and family were his biggest love and this year many of them helped him and Carol joyously celebrate 65 years of marriage.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; their 5 children, Carol D’Anne Albert Weeks of Pahrump, NV, Alf Melvin Haley, Jr. of Renton, WA, Kari June Bell of Vashon Island, WA, Iver William Roxanne Haley of Renton, WA, Peggy Lynn Garcia of Seattle, WA.; and the numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his loving sister, Corrine Arnold Cleveland of Burnsville, MN; niece and nephew, Nika Cleveland of Madrid, Spain, Mark Carrie Cleveland and great nephew, Iver John of Minneapolis, MN.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Iver Iversen and Anna Nicoline Vinje Haley.
Alf’s family would like to thank his doctors and the wonderful people from the Care Center of Mt. Vernon, Mountain Glen and Skagit Hospice who gave him such kind and loving care during his last months. We also want the numerous brothers and sisters of the LDS Sedro Woolley Ward to know how much your loving support meant to us. We are forever grateful and will never forget you.
To Dad – words cannot express the precious and unexpected gifts you gave your family in the final days of your life.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, Sedro Woolley Ward, 1122 McGarigle Rd, on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 11:00am. Remembrances can be made to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Philanthropies – Humanitarian Services www.ldsphilanthropies.org/humanitarian-services/, Skagit Hospice www.skagithospice.org or a charity of choice.
