Albert Eugene "Al" Aldrich III

Beach home with his family by his side. He was well known for his sense of humor & his fun shoes, especially the gold shoes gifted to him on his 50th wedding anniversary. Born August 27, 1941 in Warwick, RI to parents Albert Eugene II & Anne (Blair) Aldrich, he grew up in Warwick & graduated from Warwick Veterans High School with the Class of 1958. He then joined the US Air Force where he honorably served active duty for 4 years, followed by 2 years in the reserves. Al next moved into Civil Service, working as an electronics mechanic building jet engines at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station. In 1973 he transferred to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. There he became a logistics coordinator, overseeing the maintenance & repairs of military jet engines. Albert completed his highly awarded 42 year career in Military & Civil Service, retiring in 2002 with a Four Star general in attendance. During his time in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, Albert met the love of his life Karen Berg. They married on December 28, 1968 & began their wonderful family. In Florida, Al resumed his education, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1976, fell in love with the warmer weather, kept busy with creative projects & always made time for fun with his wife & three kids. For his first major project, he built an inground swimming pool almost entirely by hand! He made a giant swing & hung it from the tallest oak tree, built a big sandbox & even a habitat with custom cages for the pet rabbits. Everyone was always welcome over for pool parties & a cold one in the backyard or a ride on the boat. Al was a skilled & creative craftsman. He built a backyard deck, beautiful bookshelves & custom woodwork that covered the walls. Al & Karen took pride in renovating their beach house into their dream home for retirement. The original house on stilts was raised up to its current glory with Al’s innovation. Al always aimed to make everything around him better. His hobbies of craftmanship & fixing things continued at Vilano beach. He was thrilled to collect driftwood after storms & repurpose it into gorgeous porch walls & ceilings. He adorned the porches with glowing lights, salvaged from old ships. He repurposed antiques to build wine racks, cabinets, shelves & a kegerator cabinet for his prized pub room! The pub room was another vision that became a reality. Al & his son expanded their hobbies to home brewing & wine making. Their beautiful wine racks & kegerator have been full & flowing since. Al was deeply involved in his community. He served as President of the North Shores Association, as well as the Design & Review Board for the City of St. Augustine. He was integral to the growth of the Vilano Bridge 5k, with a concentrated effort on making the best after party by working all year garnering participation from local breweries & eateries. Al invested countless hours advocating for the development of a Multi-use trail along A1A between Vilano Beach & Mickler’s. The trail would be part of the Florida Greenway Project, which interconnects individual trails systems bringing people closer to wildlife & the natural Florida habitat while keeping people a safe distance from the roadway. This was his dream. He was awarded & given many accolades for his time, dedication, innovative ideas & work throughout his community. When the work was done there was always time for fun. Al loved nature, animals, sunshine & a nice beverage in the backyard with family & friends. He always lived a very active life including coaching soccer, running, bowling & basketball league, tennis, golf, fishing & boating. He delighted in a beach walk with the dogs & never passed on a good pup snuggle while enjoying a ball game. He was a long time Red Sox & Celtics fan, but loved the Jaguars the most. He was thrilled by the recent success of the Jags and was looking forward to their domination this season. Do it for Al Jags! He loved a good stout beer, lobster, oysters and a bone-in ribeye. Whippy Cream was a favorite, especially on his coffee. More than anything, Al loved his family & treasured the time he spent with them. He never missed an opportunity to tell a good joke… would I, wood eye!! Friends, family & strangers throughout his life said he was an innovator & inspiration. For all of these things and so many more he will be remembered and missed more than words can ever express. Al was preceded in death by his parents, Albert Eugene, II and Anne Aldrich. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Karen B. Aldrich of St. Augustine; son, Paul Aldrich of St. Augustine; daughters, Kelly Aldrich of Boca Raton and Allison Aldrich of Jacksonville; sister, Carol Dugan and brother Michael Aldrich, both of Rhode Island. Service will be held at 9 am/pm on Saturday, August 19, 2023 at The Cathedral Basilica with Reverend Ignatius Yeruva officiating. Those unable to attend can view the service live streamed at https://thefirstparish.org/ Friends of the family are requested per Al to attend a true celebration of his life following the church service at his beloved Vilano Beach Home. St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Albert Eugene "Al" Aldrich III

August 27, 1941 - August 5, 2023