Al graduated from Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, Vt. in 1961, and earned his BA in Education from Johnson Teachers College in 1965. He served in the U.S. National Guard for six years and then taught at St. Albans Central School. Al went on to work as a U.S. Customs Inspector for 30 years, beginning at the Canadian border in Highgate, Vermont, and moving to Montreal, Nassau, Bahamas, Miami, and finally spending 15 years at the Jacksonville Port Authority, before retiring in 2004. After retiring, Al achieved his dream of spending winters in Fernandina Beach and summers camping in the mountains of Vermont.
Al married Kathleen (Flanagan) Paquette in 1965. He is survived by Kathy; their children, Lisa (Jerry) Varon, Julie (Ancel) McNeil, and Brad (Sandra) Paquette; grandchildren, Kyra, Douglas, Trey, Katie, Madeline, and Zoe; his sister, Sandy Harris; brother-in-law Martin Harris; sisters-in-law, Mary Flanagan and Shirley Cota; and several beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews.
A celebration of Al’s life will be held at Hardage–Giddens Chapel Hills Funeral Home, 850 St Johns Bluff Road North, Jacksonville, 32225 on Friday, June 22 at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Community Hospice of Jacksonville.
HARDAGE-GIDDENS CHAPEL HILLS, 850 Saint Johns Bluff Road North, Jacksonville, FL 32225, is serving the family.
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