88
Sioux Falls, SD
October 28, 2020
Al English, son of Leslie and Catherine (Heiberger) was born July 27, 1932, in Sioux Falls. The oldest of three brothers, he was dearly loved by his siblings. He attended Cathedral Grade School and High School and he was always proud to be called a “northender”. Al attended St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minn., where he played football, hockey and baseball. This is where he first met his wife Alison. Al graduated St. Mary’s with a degree in business administration.
After graduating, he served in Korea and worked in the motor pool. Alison and Al met again on a train where Al remembered her and approached her with the line “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” He was united in marriage to Alison O’Connell on February 27, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisc. They went on a camping honeymoon in a borrowed station wagon in Two Harbors, Minn.
In the first years of their marriage in Illinois Alison ran the house as a stay at home mom while Al traveled. They moved to South Dakota with their five children in 1974 to be near Al’s parents and childhood connections. Al started the Al English Agency out of the basement of their home. He loved hockey and had dreamed of building an indoor hockey rink. In the late 1970s, he and a small group of hockey enthusiasts led the charge, doggedly securing land and funds and creating the Minnehaha Ice and Recreation Center. He was the president of the center for over 20 years.
Al was also active with the Sioux Falls Optimist Club and was a strong supporter of the Oratorical Contest and the Tri-Star Hockey Contest and any program that supported the youth of the area. He also loved hunting and fishing, and most Saturdays in the fall you would find him in the fields of South Dakota with his sons. As much as the actual hunt, he loved to spend time with his sons and friends, swap stories and share his love of the outdoors with his children. He cared deeply for his family, was revered by his grandchildren and loved spending time with them. When asked what he wanted for Christmas or his birthday his first answer was always “Happy kids!” Al was a strong supporter of all of the kids’ activities, attending nearly every recital, performance and game.
Alison and Al entertained often. There are many memories of cocktail, dinner and bridge parties. Al and Alison shared many things including their love of music. There was often a record playing in the house including opera, classical, swing and jazz. They loved attending the South Dakota symphony. Al was a longtime member of St. Mary, Holy Spirit and St. Therese Catholic Parishes in the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese.
Al’s five children feel that they could not have asked for a better father. He was both solid and loving. Left to cherish his memory are his children, Thomas (Jennifer) English of Crooks, Amy (Mark) Spinti of Scottsdale, Ariz., Mary (Xavier) Vendrell of Auburn, Ala., Susan (Rick) Theis of San Antonio, Texas, and Tim (Kamilla) English of Arlington Heights, Ill.; grandchildren, Nigel, Delaney, Catie, Emma, Alison and Meredith; and brother, Stuart (Constance) English of Madison, Conn.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Alison English of Sioux Falls; brother, Richard (Beverly) English of Sioux Falls; and his parents, Catherine and Les English of Sioux Falls.
Join the family for a graveside memorial at St Michael’s Cemetery, Section 21, Block B on Friday, July 30, 2021, at 6 p.m. Family will also be celebrating Al’s life on Saturday, July 31, 2021, at noon at the picnic shelter in upper Tuthill Park.
Arrangements provided by George Boom Funeral Home.