Alpha "Al" Earl Stargel

Alpha "Al" Earl Stargel, 86, of Louisville, Kentucky went home to Jesus on Tuesday, June 24th, 2025. He was born in Russell Springs, Kentucky on February 20, 1939 to the late Glenn and Laura Stargel. He is preceded in death by his brothers Gary and Jarvis Donald "JD" Stargel and his brothers-in-law Duel Wilson and Tommy Murray.

Al is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Helen (Pennington) Stargel; daughter, Tammie Bello (Tom); son, Michael Stargel (Kim); daughter, Susan Moore (Charles); 5 grandchildren, Melissa Bethard (Mark), Emily Hartgrove (Wes), Sean Stargel (Macki), Jake Moore, and Sam Moore; 3 great grandchildren, Madelyn, Nolan, and Fineas; sisters, Joyce Wilson, Royce Smith, Linda Stargel, Wanda Murray, and Pearl Crockett; brother, Wayne Stargel; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Al Stargel was born the eldest of nine children in Russell Springs, Kentucky. As a young man, he learned to clear land and work on a farm-skills that led to a lifelong love of gardening. While working in Cincinnati, he was drafted into the Army and served during the Cuban Missile Crisis buildup.

In 1966, he married Helen, his wife of 59 years and they made Louisville their permanent home. He held several jobs in Louisville before becoming a truck driver for Purnell’s Old Folks Sausage Company, where he worked for over 30 years. His routes included Birmingham, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati.

Throughout his 86 years, Al enjoyed a wide variety of hobbies. In his younger days, he restored a 1949 Plymouth Businessman’s Coupe, and later in life, a 1949 Ford truck. He took great joy in driving around Middletown in his restored cars.

Building was both a creative outlet and a practical skill. He built dollhouses for his daughter and all his granddaughters and, in 1975, he added a room to the family home. He enjoyed making fishing lures and was an avid collector of numerous things. His creative pursuits included drawing and painting with watercolors. He loved the outdoors and cultivated an orchard with apple and pear trees, grapevines, raspberries, and blackberries. He also, along with his wife and family, maintained a vegetable garden and enjoyed mowing the lawn and chopping firewood for winter for as long as his health allowed, which was nearly all his life.

Al loved bluegrass music and frequently attended bluegrass festivals. He taught himself to play the guitar, banjo, and mandolin. He was deeply active in his church throughout his married life, serving as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. He enjoyed studying the Bible and deepening his relationship with his Savior, Jesus Christ. He also loved singing and playing guitar during Sunday services.

Al was a devoted and proud Dad and “Papaw,” who enjoyed holidays, birthday celebrations, and family vacations. His loving wife, children, and grandchildren will dearly miss him.

Visitation will be from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Monday, June 30, 2025 and from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 both at Newcomer, East Louisville Chapel, 235 Juneau Drive, Louisville, KY 40243. A funeral ceremony for Mr. Stargel will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday at the funeral home with burial following at Simpsonville Masonic Cemetery in Simpsonville, Kentucky.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Stargel's memory may be made to Fisherville Baptist Church.

To leave a memory of Al or a condolence for the family, please use the "Guest Book" option below.