By CHARLES MELTON
Editor
Former Bremerton City Councilman Albert L. Colvin will be laid to rest today at Sylvan Way Baptist Church in East Bremerton. Services begin at 1:30 p.m.
Colvin passed away Feb. 7 at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton, and throughout the past week flags across the city have been flown at half-staff in tribute to this great American.
Colvin served as president of the Bremerton Central Lions Club and on the council at the same time, recalled fellow Lion Charles Simmons.
“He always pushed for any way possible to help the residents of Bremerton through the efforts of Lions International and our local Lions Clubs,” Simmons said. “One such way was to energize efforts to improve the facilities of Lions Field so that more children had a place to play and enjoy the beautiful playgrounds and ball fields provided by Lions Field.”
He was born June 29, 1922 in Laredo, Texas to Asa and Parthenia Colvin and after graduating from high school in San Antonio, he headed to the Northwest to join his brother Jesse at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 1940.
Four years later Al was accepted in the U.S. Army Air Corps flight training school in Tuskegee, Ala., where he completed flight training as a Tuskegee Airman.
At the end of World War II, Colvin returned to Bremerton and PSNS and sent for his future bride, Hazel, whom he married on Nov. 14, 1946 in Bremerton.
Colvin was a dedicated leader in the community. In addition to serving as a councilman for 12 years, he was a past president of the Navy Yard Metal Trades (Kitsap) Federal Credit Union; Kitsap/Mason County Chapter of the American Red Cross and Bremerton Central Lions Club. He was a former member of the Bremerton Planning Commission; Past Master of Hamma Hamma Lodge No. 35 F&AM; founder of the NAACP (Peoples) Federal Credit Union; past treasurer of the alumni association of CUNA Schools, University Wisconsin and lifetime member of the NAACP.
He was a recipient of the Chief Thunderbird Leadership Award given by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce; Blacks in Government “Lead by Example” Award; and the Chuck Semancek Memorial Scholarship-Bremerton Hero Award, as well as other recognitions for a lifetime of service to the community.
His interest in world politics led him to travel to Havana, Cuba as soon as foreign travel opened up to the outside world. He wanted to experience first-hand what living under a Communist government was like for the people of that country. He also traveled to Guam, Mexico and Europe. He could run the pool table and spent many Saturday nights at West Park Lanes with his daughters and their friends, bowling until 5 a.m.
In 1980 Councilman Al was selected to participate in the PEOPLE TO PEOPLE PEACE MISSION to the Soviet Union, led by then Secretary of State Ralph Munro.
He leaves to mourn his passing his loving wife of 61 years, Hazel; four daughters, Althea Colvin of San Jose, Calif.; Gloria (Henry) Colvin-Jackson of Kent; Gwen (Dale) Wilson of Bremerton and Carolyn (Paul) Colvin-Oden of Bainbridge Island, four grandchildren Lakeisha Colvin, Laura Oden, Peter Oden and Ben Wilson; two great-grandchildren, Haile and Angel Gonzales; his sister-in-law, Virginia Elmo and her four daughters, Hazel, Cynthia, Annette and Danetta, all of Los Angeles, Calif.; sister-in-law Gertrude Kennebrew of Hollywood, Fla. and two dearly devoted friends, Gene and Mary Hart of Bremerton.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations in Albert L. Colvin’s name sent to: The Chuck Semancek Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 2723, Bremerton, WA 98310-0351.
