Elven "Al" Canaday, 80, of Centralia, Wash., passed away Saturday, April 14, 2019, at Providence Centralia Hospital’s campus. He was born in Chehalis, Wash., Oct. 13, 1938. When Al was a newborn, Clifford R. and Adice (Patrick) Canaday welcomed him into their home as their own baby boy.
He loved music. Al collected Western, gospel, Elvis and oldies albums and one of his favorite pastimes was attending the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber Music in the Park concerts. He loved teasing and joking around with his friends, watching car races at the South Sound Speedway in Grand Mound and he especially enjoyed watching the Seahawks.
Al could be seen walking around town everyday and he would go to the gym in the early morning hours to socialize and exercise. For many years, Al worked as a press operator at The Daily Chronicle. The paper wrote a story several years back about his visits to Thorbeckes and how it changed his life and helped ease his loneliness.
He attended Centralia Seventh-day Adventist Church, but enjoyed church so much that he would attend other churches that had Sunday services, like the Bethel Church in Centralia.
Al is survived by his sister, Gennie Cline; cousins, Edith (Steve) Shannon and Stanley (Cindy) Canaday; special friend and caregiver, Shirley Taylor; and a host of extended family and friends. He is greatly missed.
A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at Centralia Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1607 Military Rd., Centralia, WA 98531. A reception with light refreshments will follow the service. A private interment will take place at Claquato Cemetery in Chehalis.
