Geoff Wenker
I met Al in 2003 when I got Al to came to my house & weld a custom handrail at my new home in Scappoose. Per my notes he only charged $65 for the 1 hour it took, which was an extremely fair deal!. I was a busy contractor back then and I hired him or gave a positive reference when asked, whenever I could.
Al & I got reacquainted 10 years later in 2013 when I suffered a stroke and began physical therapy at Therapeutic Associates where Al was already a patient.
Our disabilities were very similar in that we each lost use of half of our bodies (Hemiparesis), Al lost use of his right side and I lost my left side. Fortunately, neither of us had damage to speech, memory, or cognition. We became good friends reminiscing about our pre-stroke lives in construction and having fun on motorcycles.
Al was an inspiration to me and others because of the hard work he put in to recover as much as possible. He did this with a sense of humor and a positive view of the future and faith in mankind. Al will be missed.
