Holmes, Alan L. Died peacefully July 21, 2014. Age 54. Beloved husband of 28 years to Laura (nee Rude). Beloved father of Corey and Shauna. Son of Leroy and Gwendolyn Holmes. Brother of Carolyn (Jeff) Holmes, Tom (Dorene) Holmes and Terri Holmes. Further survived by his Father in law and mother in law Arthur and Janet Rude, sister in law Linda (Michael) Johannas brother in law John Rude, other relatives and friends.
Visitation on Sunday July 27, 2014 at NORTHBROOK CHURCH (4014 HWY 167 Richfield) from 2:30PM until 4:45PM. Memorial Service at 5:00PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to:
The National Parks Foundation:
https://myaccount.nationalparks.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=581
Wisconsin DNR Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
Land Water & Wild Life:
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/Wisconservation
Michigan Game & Fish Protection Fund:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10366_10871-44016--,00.html
Northbrook Church ~ Beyond Project:
https://giving.onthecity.org/nb/uauth_giving/new?city_account_id=1425&mobile=0
We are grateful for this good man, who served God, his country, and his family with a full and open heart. We are grateful for the love, support and prayers of all of you who walked along this long and difficult road with us. We weep, but we are at peace knowing that Al is in the presence of our great and glorious God. It is that same God to whom we turn now for solace at the loss of this man, so repected, and so well loved. Our comfort comes from knowing that Al fought the good fight, and he has now won the ultimate prize. If you knew Al, you knew a kind, caring and loving man. Al embodied the spirit of faith, hard work and decency that are the bedrock of our family, our church, and our community. He was a big man, and he towered over most people. But he was also extraordinarily gentle and kind, and his heart was just as big as his shoulders were broad. He loved his family and his friends, and he was always delighted by a challenge. From the time he was young, he loved camping, canoeing, fishing, hunting, and all the adventures the great outdoors had to offer. And he was resourceful. He could fix anything. It may not have always been in the conventional way, but one way or another, things got fixed. Al spent 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. As he did in so many aspects of life, Al jumped into life in Alaska with both feet. He went snowmobiling and cross country skiing, he helped a ffriend build a log cabin, and he took some really cool pictures of the bears, fox and other wildlife. Al and Laura met while they were both stationed in Montana. Together they explored "big sky country", and this was the beginning of a lifelong interest for them. Together they explored our National Parks whenever they could, and once Corey and Shauna came along, that did not stop. Family adventures where always just that, an adventure. From Gettysburg to Disney to South Dakota and many points in between. Once the kids got older and Corey got into cars and racing, Al would be right there with him. Don't ask how many times they pulled an engine out of a car and put it back together. Shauna got the "outdoor bug" too. They spent many hours fishing and hunting together.
For the past 18 years, Al worked at the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department in the Jail Division. He believed in order to lead effectively, he needed to get to know those who he lead. If you ask any of his co-workers, he did, beyond their expectations. Al was a hard worker who cared not only about getting the job done to its highest standards, but he tried to instill those same ethics into his co-workers.
