Alfred "Big Al" David Uuereb

Alfred David “Big Al” Uuereb, of Yelm, Wash., passed away on November 13, 2021. He was 76. He was born in San Francisco, Calif., on April 15, 1945, the youngest son of Michael and Winifred (Byrnes) Uuereb. He was a first generation American and was proud of his Maltase and Irish roots. Following high school, Al worked as a mechanic and then was drafted into the U.S. Army and served two tours in Vietnam. During his military career, Al rose to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3, and was stationed in Germany, California, and Kansas before finally retiring at Ft Lewis, Wash. (JBLM) in 1988. Upon his retirement from the Army, Al went to work for Boeing, and spent the next 20 years working in a variety of positions. While Al was proud of his military career, he was much prouder of his wife and family. He married the love of his life, Janice Lott, on January 20, 1968, at Ft. Riley, Kansas, and over the course of their 53-year marriage, raised three amazing children, Amy, Michael, and Alison, and enjoyed time with his two grandchildren, Robbie and Greta. When not working, Al was a gearhead who loved nothing more than tinkering with all manner of cars. He could fix anything and was always working on projects in the garage or around the house. He also loved to travel, and he and Janice could often be seen all over the West Coast and Texas in their trailer (usually while wearing one of his beloved “hair hats”). Al and Janice also loved cruising, and achieved their dream of sailing around Australia and New Zealand for their 50th wedding anniversary. In addition, he also got to travel through the Panama Canal and bring his family to visit Malta. Al will be buried at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Covington, Wash., on December 20, 2021, with full military honors. While “Big Al” will be greatly missed by his family and friends, we will rejoice and take comfort in the memories he brought to each and every one of us. Please leave condolences or share memories and photos on the Tribute Wall to the left.