Alton (Al) Duane Rush
Alton (Al) Duane Rush 90 of Corvallis passed away at Willamette Springs Memory Care.
The son of Grady Rush and Jessie (Harrison) Rush he was born in Wickes, Arkansas, and attended school there until he was 11 years old when the family moved to Sweet Home.
Alton graduated from Sweet Home High School in 1951 and went to work for Willamette National as a powder monkey on the road crew. In 1953 Alton joined the US Army. He did his basic training at Fort Campbell Kentucky, and paratrooper training at Fort Benning Georgia.
Al was stationed in Pirmasens, West Germany, and was part of the Signal Corp division installing communication cables across Germany and France. Al’s stint in the Army ended in 1956, and he returned to Sweet Home.
He met Barbara Frey at the Frontier Room in 1956, they married on May 30, 1957, in The Dalle. They resided in Sweet Home and eventually moved to the Liberty area in 1964. They moved to Corvallis in 2010.
In 1959 Al started working for Santiam Supply, retiring from Santiam Supply in 1998. Al was a pillar in the Sweet Home community. He was on the District 55 Board of Education for 12 years, serving as chair in 1978-1979. He spent 21 years in Kiwanis and is past president.
Al loved gardening and being outdoors. He loved Elk Hunting in Eastern Oregon and fishing in Alaska, making 40 trips in all. Al was an involved parent, helping coach Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball. Al had a big heart and a bigger smile.
Al is survived by sons Cary (Lynn) of Tangent and David of Wasilla, Alaska, sister Daphine Karns of Albany and six grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife Barbara, son Jon, brother Raymond and his parents.
A Celebration of life will be held on September 28th, 2024 (2:00pm) at the Sweet Home New Life in Christ Fellowship in Sweet Home.
