Alois ‘Al’ Krier

Alois “Al” Krier, 86, died suddenly on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, at his home in Palm Coast, Fla.

Al grew up in Belgium, Wis., the son of Alois and Rose (Mayer) Krier.

His family had a cottage on Random Lake. He attended St. Mary’s Lake Church Grade School. At  Port Washington High School, he played center on the football team and started the golf team with his brother Paul and cousins Fred and Phil Krier.

In the summers, he worked at the Krier Preserving Co.   

In Belgium and Random Lake, he began a life long love of the outdoors, golf, snow and water sports, boating and trapping.

Al graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He was a member of the Delta Sigma Pi fraternity.

In 1959, Al married Anabel “Bel” Schwenker of Port Washington.

They moved to Ironwood, Mich., where Al worked for Standard Oil Corp. and ran a trap line. He worked with the Ironwood Chamber of Commerce to erect a 52-foot-tall statue of Hiawatha.

A career change to Chrysler Marine took Al and his family to South Dakota, Minnesota, Florida and Michigan.

In the mid 1980s, Al retired from Chrysler and returned to his early trapping roots by starting A&D Animal Control, a business that humanely relocates “critters” all over Oakland County, Mich. It was successful from day one because of Al’s personal approach to sales and grateful follow up. Al was especially proud of the dozen or so other businesses started by his employees.

He enjoyed helping Bel with her pottery/ceramics art business, often accompanying her to art fairs.

The seasonality of the wildlife control business allowed Al and Bel to split time between Lake Orion and Palm Coast, eventually moving to Florida full time in 2019.   Al loved all his neighborhood friends, his old friends and family in Wisconsin, the Lake Orion Dollar Bay gang, his golfing buddies and the Florida friends who knew him by his mini tugboat – Pilot 49.

Al was an active citizen. His most recent cause was a safe alternative for walkers and bikers on Cimmaron Avenue in his Palm Coast neighborhood.

He would dress up as Uncle Sam to get everyone to join patriotic sing-alongs on July 4 in Dollar Bay, at golf courses and at the start line for River Run participants. Al was determined to brighten the day of all he met.

His costume collection was extensive, covering all major holidays and most minor ones, just for an excuse to go make some smiles! He spent his last day dressed in a red and green Christmas suit, happily giving out candy canes at Dunn’s Attic, his son-in-law, Wes Dunn’s, store in Ormond Beach, Fla.

Among other volunteer positions, Al was an usher at Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. Al sent hundreds of written notes of gratitude, congratulations and encouragement to friends and family all over the U.S. each year.

Al is survived by his son Joe Krier; daughter Rosanne (Wes) Dunn;  grandchildren Nick Dunn, Ben (Kate ) Dunn, Sydney (Nick) Jordan and Kurt (HannahJoy) Krier; great-granddaughters Jovi Alois Krier and Penelope and Peyton Dunn; his brother Paul (Bette) Krier; sisters-in-law Maizie (Marty) Penkwitz, Beth (Tom) Schueller and Marilyn Schwenker;  and his cousinFred (Cricket) Krier.

Al was predeceased by his beloved wife Bel, grandson Matt Dunn, sisters Doris (Krier) Nachtrab and Ruth (Krier) Danby and brother-in-law Tom Schwenker.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or the Flagler County Humane Society.

Visitation was held at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at Clymer Funeral Home, Palm Coast, Fla., and  at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, with a  Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church followed by a reception at Pine Lakes Golf Club,  Palm Coast, Fla.