Alvin "Al" J. Menting, a former resident of Palo Alto, died on June 8 at Holy Cross Village in Notre Dame, Indiana. He was 87.
He was born on April 23, 1927, and grew up with 11 other siblings on a dairy farm in Phlox, Wisconsin. He served in the Navy's Air Force during World War II.
Not long after, he began working for United Airlines, a career that lasted for more than 33 years until his retirement in 1981. He lived in Palo Alto for about 50 years, flying a 747 route for United Airlines between San Francisco and Hawaii. He married his second wife, Montel, in 1972. Al and Montel were active parishioners at Our Lady of the Rosary.
Beyond work, he served as an officer with the Palo Alto Elks and volunteered for many years at Stanford Hospital. He also helped lead relief efforts in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Palo Leyte, Philippines. He enjoyed building, constructing his own swimming pool and modifying automobiles. He and his wife also traveled often.
He and Montel moved to the Holy Cross Village retirement community in Notre Dame in 2002, and as his health declined he was cared for at the Dujarie nursing facility there.
He is survived by his wife, Montel Hawkesworth Menting, and four children he adopted with his first wife, Marion, who is deceased: Tina Smith, Tony Menting, Terri Setnick and Ted Menting. He is also survived by seven grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.