Alfred “Alfy” “Fritz” Lyle Hallenbeck was born in Chicago, IL, and grew up in Oregon. He adopted Snohomish County, WA, to raise his family. He built his mansion on Sultan Basin Road and played on his 26-acre ranch and in the waters of the Puget Sound.
Alfy served his country in the Navy during WWII and the Korean War aboard the aircraft carrier Bairoko (CVE115). His combat duty off the coast of Korea earned him the United Nations Service Metal with one star. While stationed in Panama, he sailed his 14-foot gaff rig in Gatun Bay.
He earned his Mechanical Engineering Degree at Oregon State University and pursued his career at Western Gear, Westinghouse and Boeing. Today, hundreds of the functions, gadgets, gizmos and products used in industry and military have Alfy’s fingerprints and brilliance stamped all over them, as well as a patent or two along the way. Some of his genius that you may have heard of include: parts of the intercontinental ballistic missile, the Space Needle and the reversible aircraft baggage carriers.
He regularly raced the Puget Sound, sailing with a crew of friends and co-workers from Western Gear. He toured the Sound in his own 26-foot sail boat.
If you heard a melody in the distance coming your way it meant you would soon see the biggest smile behind the tune. It was Alfy, singing “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Alfy always had a song in his heart and he was everybody’s best friend.
Alfy was never more delighted than the times he spent with his kids fishing and the water-fights off the balcony of their Sultan chateau. If there was water, Alfy was happy.
He was most proud of his family. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Bryon and Denise; grandchildren, Sean and his wife, Ashley; Mathew and his wife, Renee; stepdaughter, Denise McCoy and grandchildren, Sean and Conlan McCoy.
Alfy lost his daughter, Susan Hallenbeck, last year and his first wife, Sarah, 13 years ago, both to cancer. Alfy lost his infant daughter, Diane Hope, to SIDS, and his son-in-law, Robert McCoy, to PTSD.
For the last 12 years Alfy and his new bride, Celia Strong, have made their home in Everett, WA.
Memorial Services will be held at Noon on Sunday, January 22, 2017. The Service will open with the United States Naval Honor Guard presentation of Taps at Cascade View Presbyterian Church, located at 1030 Casino Road East, Everett, WA 98203. Anchors Aweigh.
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