Farewell to our Friend, Al
October-2008

It is with great sadness that we inform you of Al Christenson's passing.  He had been suffering from poor health for many years, but his health had worsened this past year.  Al had scaled down to a 24 hour work week earlier this year and planned to fully retire at the end of November. Al was the very first person Peter hired upon purchasing the company in 1972 and this year marked his 35th anniversary as a dedicated employee of Western.  He was a customer advocate who freely shared his vast equipment knowledge with all customers and fellow Western employees. He will be missed by all of us here at Western and we know you join us in wishing his family our sincerest condolences.

Share Your Comments       We know Al had many, many good friends.  If you would like to pay tribute or share a story about Al,     please click here.  We will be happy to post your comments on our website. Comments
I was only with Western for a short time, but I have to say Al was one of the most memorable people there.  I was going through some rough times at home and for some reason Al knew that.  As depressed as I was, he made sure everyday when he walked through the service shop, to stop and make me laugh.  Or he'd catch me in the middle of what I was doing to make me laugh so hard I had to stop.  Through all my rough days, Al made sure to make me laugh and for that I will remember him as the awesome guy that made me forget.  Sincerely,               Willie Darnez Judkins - Former Co-Worker	AL	It saddens me to see such a nice person as Al move on to the next step in life.  He was a very generous person with his knowlege of the equipment I worked on & setup while I was with the company.  Al helped me so many times when Benny or Josh were not available.  Al was also a very generous person in the humor and compassion department.  He was very well liked down deep, despite his stubborness, which in a lot of instances made him a valuable asset.  I'm so sorry to hear that his health got the better of him and hope all who knew him professionally and personally, remember him for the good hearted and helpful person he was.  Take care Al.  You will be surely missed.  God bless!              Ronald Clyde Allen - Former Co-Worker
Al was much more than a fantastic mechanic.  He was a dear friend who I will miss so much.  He was a great guy.                           Steve Rulin - Meadowpark Golf		Al was a genuine good guy.  His knowledge and friendship will be missed. The time we spent, I will cherish for life.                Dean Owen - Members Club at Aldarra
Al was an individual who helped develop my career through insight, wisdom and experience.                                         - Anonymous		We will all miss Al.  He can never be replaced.  I have to agree with Al ~ the 216 was the biggest lemon!                   Tony - Meridian Valley Country Club
Al was a staple of the industry.  He helped make the turf industry what it is today.  We could always trust him to do the right thing.  His knowledge was second to none.  He could always have a great chat, but usually you would learn something that made that long conversation worth while.         Paul Colleran - Members Club at Aldarra		I didn't get to know Al as much as I would have liked, but he was very helpful; gave me his business card and told me to call him any time if I needed help.  I was Mike Owen's assistant years ago and was introduced to him then ~ about 15 years ago.  He'll be missed deeply.                Marty  - Meridian Valley Country Club
Special thanks to Al for all the great years of service he provided for our club.  He was always a pleasure to have around.          Craig Benson - Meridian Valley Country Club		Al was my good friend for 29 years.                            Wayne Ripley - Fircrest Golf
The turf industry was Al's life.  He will be missed.  We didn't always see eye to eye, but could usually get things worked out. Rest in peace.               Richard Lee - Western Equip. Co-Worker		Al is probably working on St. Peter's chariot and commenting on how it was made by the devil and the wrong parts to boot.  That's ok ~ at the end of the day it probably runs and Al is taking it for a ride!                 Bill Kent - Western Equip. Co-Worker
Al was the cornerstone of the mechanic seminar at the Washington Turf & Landscape show.  His ability to address the relevent issues of the day, was a key part of the seminars success.  His insight and knowledge will very difficult to replace in the future.                                  Paul Backman - WWGCSA		Al was first of all a good friend and also a skilled technician.  We first met when I was a student @ WWCC Turf Equipment Repair Program in Walla Walla.  We were from the same generation & often discussed the work ethic of the present generation's work force.  I will greatly miss our visits and his expertise.                       R. Laureen - Elk Run Golf Course
Al was like my big brother and I'll miss him everyday. :-(             Dave Burslem - Western Equip. Co-Worker		Al ~ such a big sweetheart of a guy.  He truly was "Mr. Western Equipment".  The place isn't the same without him.                 Ramona - Western Equip. Co-Worker
I learned a lot from Al, had a lot of good times and shared a lot of stories.  I only knew him for 2 years but I will truly miss him.                            Josh Polus - Former Co-Worker		I remember calling Al all the time when I first started working for Western Equip.  Al was my life line when it came to repairing equipment.  Sorry to hear about your loss.                 Ron Rue - Former Oregon Service Mgr
In the mechanic world we are not always the easiest people to get along with.  Al was just the opposite, as I could call him any time and he would help out anyway he could.  Some of the early equipment, he knew inside and out.  He will definitely be missed at my end.  Rest in peace Al and keep up the good work as I know you have an answer for someone.                              Mike - North Bellingham Golf Course