Alden Tucker

1936 - 2017

Tucker, Alden

Alden (Al) M. Tucker, 81, of Apalachin passed away suddenly on December 6, 2017. He was born October 12, 1936 in Havana, Cuba a son of the late Fred and Leoma (Newell) Tucker. He is predeceased by his brothers Fred Jr., Roy, Charles and Paul.

He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Nedra Rae (Knauf) Tucker; his daughters Kristen Mayfield (Kevin), Nicole Benedict (Shawn), Tonya Tucker (David Casey); his son Charles Tucker (Penny); eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Al was educated in Spanish in Havana Cuba until age 13 when he was sent to live with his maternal aunt in Brooksville Florida to continue his education. He graduated from Hernando High School in Brooksville and went on to earn a dual Industrial and Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Florida.

His first job with United Fruit Company landed him in Brooklyn, NY where a pivotal decision he made would change and define the course of his life: he agreed to a blind date with the young nursing student, Nedra Knauf. They married 8 months later on October 30, 1965.

Al enjoyed a 37 year long career with IBM/Lockheed Martin as a Facilities Engineer where he was liked and respected by his colleagues for his hard work and dedication. Al was utterly devoted to his family and thoughtlessly made many personal sacrifices for them throughout his life. In his retirement, he enjoyed traveling with his wife, bowling, hiking with his dogs and continued to watch over his family and fulfill their needs whenever he could.

In honor of Al's wishes there will be no funeral. Memorial contributions may be made to the Apalachin Fire Department (http://www.apalachinfd.com/donate/) or the American Heart Association (https://donatenow.heart.org/).