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Albert Stanley PilegaardAlbert Stanley Pilegaard passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, on February 2, 2023, at age 90. Al was born on July 5, 1932, in Petaluma, California. He was the second of three children, brother Lawrence (Hans) and sister Elsie, born to Jens and Lilly Pilegaard. Al grew up in Bloomfield, California, where he attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated from Tomales High School in 1951. Al loved playing on the Tomales High School football team and designing the school's mascot. Immediately following his high school graduation, he entered the US Air Force, where with his extensive knowledge of mechanics, he quickly achieved the rank of Staff Sargent. He was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where he worked on the flight line maintaining the B-29 Super Fortress and the F-84 Thunderjets, the primary strike aircraft during the Korean War. He met his wife-to-be of 59 years, Barbara Pentkowski, while stationed at Luke Air Force Base. They were married in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 18, 1954. After his military service, they moved to Ukiah, California, where Al became a lineman for the Bell Telephone Company and eventually moved into management. He made many lifelong friends among the people he worked with. He was responsible for overseeing maintenance operations in both Lake and Mendocino counties. Al and Barbara had four children Lauril, Durke, Julie, and Chris. He was a dedicated and loving husband and father.Al loved the great outdoors, being an avid fisherman and hunter. He, his dad, and his family built a cabin in 1944 off Highway 88 at Caples Lake where many generations enjoyed summers of fishing and fall seasons of deer hunting. He found great pleasure in camping and backpacking throughout the Sierra Nevada and sharing all that he learned. He gave back to his community and shared his knowledge by serving on boards or participating in charitable organizations. He supported Junior Achievement and United Way; served on the Ukiah Television Improvement Association and Fire Board; and was the Little League Baseball president. Al's gardens were legendary….both vegetable and flower! He always had an extensive vegetable garden and shared the bounty with neighbors and friends. He enjoyed canning fruits and vegetables throughout the harvest, which were relished in the winter months. His yard always looked like a well-groomed park flourishing with flowers. He continued his love for gardening when he and Barbara moved to Carmichael, California, and helped spearhead the Jensen Botanical Garden rejuvenation for over twenty years. He and a team of volunteers transformed the tired garden into what it is today. They removed debris, improved pathways, installed plant identification and benches for the disabled, planted numerous trees and shrubs, and planted hundreds of tulips under the huge oak tree. He was very thankful for the volunteers that the garden inspired to come and help with its care.Al is survived by his daughter Lauril and grandchildren Annie and Eric (Tucker); son Durke and wife Mary and grandchildren Trena, Eric, Mark, Reed, Tait, Leif, Lily, Julia, Thor, Clare, John; daughter Julie and husband Ed and granddaughter Lydia; and 17 great-grandchildren. Al's Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 1:00 pm at Lind Brothers Mortuary located at 4221 Manzanita Ave, Carmichael, California 95608, with a reception following. Instead of flowers, remembrances may be made through monetary donations to the CRPD Foundation, Attn: Jensen Garden, 5750 Grant Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608.
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