Alan Harold Hewett

Oakmont resident, passed away peacefully at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital on October 23, 2009 with his wife and daughter by his side. He was born November 4, 1919 in San Francisco to Montague and Irene Hewett. He was a proud San Francisco native, graduated from Polytech High in 1937, and spent summers at family cabins on the Russian River. His legacy of canoeing lives on. He was the basketball team captain at Menlo College and joined the US Navy as a Gunnery Officer after completing training at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. He was stationed aboard the USS Utah on the morning of the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941. Eyewitness accounts of that day reported his bravery in mustering a defense against the attack. The loss of so many shipmates when the USS Utah was sunk brought him much sadness throughout his life whenever he was asked to recount that day. After Pearl Harbor he served aboard various ships in support of the Marshall Islands, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. He separated from the USNR as a Lieutenant Commander in 1955. After the war he returned to San Francisco and went to work as a salesman for various heavy equipment companies and later retired from Ingersoll-Rand. He was proud to have sold equipment to maintain the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as large mining operations. Al and Bette Craghill married one another in 1969 and lived on many golf courses to be close to their love of the sport, including Pasatiempo, Silverado, Sun Lakes, and Oakmont. In addition to golf, Al enjoyed playing bridge, dominoes, boating, gardening, hunting, and family gatherings during holidays. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Bette B. Hewett; his daughter and her husband, Dave and Peggy Kelly; and sons Scott Hewett and Russell Craighill; his grandchildren: Rob Rittenhouse; Daniel, Jamie and Kasey Cross and Alan Hewett; and nephews Kirk and Monty Hewett. He was preceded in death by his brother, Stanley Hewett and his son Douglas Alan Hewett. The family would like to thank the nurses and caregivers at Santa Rosa Memorial for their care and compassion during Al's final days. There will be a celebration of his life on November 14, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Quail Inn of the Oakmont Golf Club, 7035 Oakmont Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95409. In lieu of flowers the family prefers donations to the cancer research of your choice.