Alfred J. Sanchez's Obituary
Alfred passed away on June 10 after a long illness. He was 86 years old. He was born in Puerto Rico in 1929 where he lived his first 11 years before making the life-changing transition to New York City, moving there with his mother in 1940. He attended junior high school in Brooklyn where his abilities qualified him to attend Aviation High School in Manhattan. His next stop was upstate New York where he received a civil engineering degree in 1951 from a local college. He later followed up with post-graduate studies at Cooper Union in Manhattan.
In 1953, he married his first wife, Arsenita, who moved from Madrid, Spain to join him in New York City. Two years later, he accepted a job with Kaiser Engineers in the Bay Area and they settled comfortably into their home in Alameda where his family grew to include four children. He moved on to become a project manager at UCSF Medical Center, providing oversight of major facility construction. He later joined Dinwiddie Construction in San Francisco as mechanical coordinator for a number of landmark high-rise projects including the Transamerica Pyramid, the Bank of America tower, and the Marriot Hotel. It was during this time that his first marriage ended and his work responsibilities became his primary focus. As that new phase of life unfolded, he met Sharon Tresch. They married in 1977 and her love and companionship were cherished for the rest of his life. He became stepfather to her daughter, Rebecca, and put his heart into that relationship as well.
In his later years, he started his own small firm, AJ Sanchez, Inc., using his many years of experience to provide construction consulting services. Sharon and Rebecca became part of his work group and the family and the business thrived. He retired in 2001 and spent his remaining years pursuing his many interests.
He was known to all as, simply, Al. He was always a gentleman: smiling, warm, and welcoming. He was a devout Raiders fan from the very early days when they were still playing at Youell Field, before the Coliseum opened in 1966. He could build, fix, salvage or repurpose just about anything. Custom model boats, custom lamps, and woodworking were a specialty. In his small workshop he had a tool for every occasion and could fabricate a part for any need. He loved to wander through flea markets and could unearth the most worthwhile objects from the midst of disorder. Above all, he was dearly loved by his family, neighbors, and friends. The world is a better place because he was in it and he is deeply mourned in his passing.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon; stepdaughter, Rebecca; three children and several grandchildren. Preceded in death by his daughter Marisa. A private memorial service will be held in July.
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