ALVIN D. ANDERSON “AL”

Alvin D. Anderson, 92, of Geneva, IL, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, July 13, 2024.  He was born in Geneva, IL on October 23, 1931, to proud parents, Harold and Ada Anderson (nee Bentley).

Al grew up in the Fox Valley area of Illinois.  As he was entering high school his family packed up and moved to Princeton, Iowa, where he attended and graduated from the local high school as a member of the class of 1950. He and his family then moved back to Illinois, settling on a farm in Fox Valley.

Al met the love of his life—Marjorie “Margie” Anne Rakowski—on a warm, sunny day in the first days of August in 1951.  She had been set up on a blind date with Al by her best friend, Ann Moulding.  Margie and Al went to see a movie together in Aurora and the rest was history.  They were kindred souls and Al fell hard for Margie from the moment he met her.  The two married on Sunday, April 19, 1953, in Junction City, Kansas.

In February of 1953, Al joined the United States Army.  After graduating from boot camp, he was stationed in Germany following the end of the Korean War.  Margie could not bear to be away from her love, so she packed up and headed to Europe to be with Al.  To this day, Al and Margie have managed to stay in touch with the lovely family they lived with in South Germany.  Al left the Army in 1955, though he remained in the National Guard for some time after leaving active duty. Upon returning stateside, Al and Margie settled in Lily Lake, Illinois, living on a family-owned dairy farm for several years.  After his farming years ended, Elburn became Al and Margie’s long-time family home until they moved to Greenfields of Geneva in October of 2021.

Al worked a variety of jobs over the years, including at Colonial Ice Cream, the Elburn Meat Packing Plant, and IDS.  Some of his favorite years were spent running the J & L Gas Station here in Elburn.  Al was a mentor to many of the young men in town that he hired to work at the gas station.  He taught them how to be polite and conscientious workers and trained them to be successful in the business world. Al also served on the Ambulance Service for a number of years, and he was a long time, proud member of the Elburn American Legion Post 630.

Al was known for many things, but he was best known for his gift of easily making friends wherever he went.  He never met a stranger and could strike up a conversation with anyone.  He loved to laugh and always had his ear-to-ear smile on, ready to greet the next friend or customer. In return for the kindness and love he showed to everyone he met; people loved him back.  People would gravitate to him as he made anyone he met feel at ease, telling stories like only he could.  As stated by one of the fortunate people in his life, “Surely this world needs many more people with those skills.  Regrettably we have lost one of the best.”  He loved to talk, tell jokes, play practical jokes – he truly loved so many in his community. 

His family was his pride and joy.  He loved and adored his wife of 71 years, Margie, and took great pride in his daughters, Allyson and Margaret.  He was wild about his grandchildren, Jennifer, Don III, and Emily, who all lovingly referred to him as “Pucka.” With the arrival of his precious great granddaughter, Annie, he felt his life was truly complete.

Al enjoyed mowing his lawn in the Spring and Summer and snow blowing on his riding tractor in the Winter up until the day he and Margie moved to Greenfields.  He took immense pride in tending to his property year-round.  He had a passion for scuba diving. For one of his birthdays, his loving wife Margie, sent him on a scuba diving trip of a lifetime to Trinidad and Tobago. He and Margie were also “parents” to a number of miniature schnauzers over the years, each of whom received unconditional love along with the occasional treat of ice cream from them both.

Al was truly a one in a million type of man, from his warm smile, to his kind welcoming nature.  His friends and family are truly mourning the loss of a great family man and friend.

Al leaves behind his loving wife, Marjorie Anderson; his daughters Allyson (Don) Laackman and Margaret (Barry) Ritter; his grandchildren Jennifer (Joshua) Davidson, Don (Elizabeth) Laackman, III, and Emily Laackman; his great-granddaughter, Ann Welch Laackman, and a whole family of friends.

He is reunited with his parents, Harold and Ada Anderson; his brothers: Arvin Anderson and Harold (Babe) Anderson, and his sisters: Edith Batch, Eleanor Wallingford, and Ester Ross.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, July 21, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Conley Funeral Home 116 W. Pierce Street, in Elburn, IL.  A funeral service will be held that same day, at 2:00 p.m. also at Conley Funeral Home.  Interment will immediately follow the service at Blackberry Twp. Cemetery in Elburn, IL.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a local animal shelter. Tributes may also be forwarded to Conley Funeral Home at P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119, via the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com.