Alfred Lester Coleman Jr.

Alfred Lester Coleman Jr., born March 22, 1939, in Long Beach, California, passed away at home on October 2, 2024, at the age of 85. He was preceded in death by his mother Gladys Tiedemann, father Alfred Lester Coleman Sr. and, grandmother Emily Moreau. He is survived by his wife Georgia Gail Coleman, daughters Susan Schooler and Joanne Barnhart, grandchildren Jeremy Schooler, Joshua Schooler, Jennifer Schooler, John Barnhart, and Colette Barnhart, brothers Richard Coleman and George Foley, 6 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.

Fred and Gail were married in 1960 and have shared 64 years of life together- side by side. Their commitment to each other has endured the test of time. He will be sorely missed by Gail and his entire family.

Fred spent most of his early childhood in Washington state between Port Orchard and Olalla and his teen years in Tampa Bay, Florida. After leaving school he spent 6 months in the Army Reserves and followed that up with a brief stint in the Air Force. Following his departure from the Air Force he and a friend traveled from the east coast back to Washington taking the scenic route. Once he returned to the Port Orchard area, he joined Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and subsequently completed a 4-year shipfitter apprenticeship. He retired from PSNS as a foreman in 1993, but that was not the end of his working days; he continued to cultivate his small business; Northwest Outboard Recyclers (est. 1977). In 2002 he reduced his workload to part time and focused more on the RV travel life with his wife Gail. Al was always a hustler doing multiple things to stay busy or bring in extra spending money, from driving carpool to/from work to repairing and selling anything with an engine, cars, lawnmowers, and outboard motors which ultimately led to the founding of his business Northwest Outboard Recyclers. He continued working his business until his death.

In his infrequent free time Fred was always on the hunt for a good deal, he loved to go to swap meets, garage sales, and thrift stores and earned the nickname Scrounger. If he was planning to make a purchase you can be sure that there was a lot of research before a final decision was made (unless it was a good looking car or a new, softer mattress). He loved to research random questions and shop for that hard to get item. Google and Siri were his best friends. Siri didn’t always understand him; making for some hilarious results.

In his younger years, Al was a volunteer fireman with South Kitsap Fire District 7 and later in life he embraced his social side and joined the Knights of Pythias and Antique Outboard Motor Club.

Fred’s family remembers him as a life-long learner and problem solver with a quick sense of humor. The infamous “You can’t take it with you” is not a fact for him--- he IS taking it with him- Gail promised to write a check and lay it to rest with him. A promise made will be a promise kept.

Fred was also an organizer extraordinaire his infamous ‘junk drawer’ was always empty – because everything has a purpose - nothing was junk. There is a place for everything and everything in its place, we still don’t know where that is – but he always did.

Favorite activities included motorcycle riding, camping in travel trailers or custom (by Fred) vans, or a tent- setup for the first time – in the rain – after dark - by flashlight - all are some of the most cherished times. He did like traveling– especially to Greyland on the coast or visiting friends and family, boating and fishing, going for a (Sunday) drive, playing card games, sharing memories through photo albums, reading western and si-fi novels, and solving brain teaser puzzles.

Fred’s happy place was in the workshop, using his “cheapie tools” many hours were spent repairing and creating. He was a fix-it master, anything with a motor, anything mechanical, no engine or project was out of reach. He could “jury-rig” anything to make it work. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge and skill with everyone. He was always a teacher, passing his skills on to his daughters with much love. There has always been a dog pal in his life and he loved his pets!

Fred’s family invites you to add your own photos and memories to this site and then join them for a time of remembrance at the Bethel Grange (1585 SE Cedar Rd, Port Orchard, WA 98367) on Friday October 25 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (just kidding!), but seriously 4:00pm to 7:00pm as they enjoy Alfred's favorite meal and share time together celebrating his life.

In lieu of flowers Al’s family asks that donations be made to the Knights of Pythias or your favorite charity.