Alfred Nault

Aug 30, 1938 -

Jan 27, 2022

Longtime Mat-Su resident Alfred Henry Nault, 83, passed away on Jan. 27, 2022, at the home of his eldest daughter in Palmer, Alaska.

A funeral mass will be held at 12:10 p.m., on Feb. 4, 2022, at St. Michael Catholic Church, 432 East Fireweed Avenue in Palmer.

Alfred was born on Aug. 30, 1938, in Fort Myers, Fla., to Marie and Albert Nault. He graduated from Fort Myers High School in 1957. He worked in construction before joining the U.S. Air Force in 1961. He married Barbara Lane on March 19, 1962, in Athens, Ga. They lived in Pennsylvania before relocating to Madison, Wis., and later transferring to Colorado Springs and Denver, Colo., to Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (NORAD). He achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant before leaving the military in 1969. Alfred continued in the computer field going to work for Borroughs Corporation, later becoming Unisys, where he retired in 1999.

The family drove the Alcan Highway in a pickup camper with a canoe on top, three children, a rabbit and a dog. The family settled in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1975, where another daughter was born. After 10 years, the family moved to the Mat-Su Valley first to Palmer, 1985-1999, then to Wasilla, Alaska, 2000-2008, before returning to Palmer in 2008. Mr. and Mrs. Nault were dedicated members of St. Michael Catholic Church in Palmer, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wasilla and St. Benedict Catholic Church in Anchorage.

Alfred's passion for the outdoors and adventure led him to Alaska where he explored the outdoors at every opportunity. He enjoyed camping, backpacking, fishing, hunting, canoeing and boating. He took family, friends, scout troops and youth groups on backpacking trips including Resurrection Pass, hunting trips in Interior Alaska and Kodiak, and camping and fishing adventures throughout Alaska. In retirement he devoted more time to gardening, spending hours outside where people often stopped to chat about his yard and gardens. His gardening earned numerous awards including the Forever Palmer Beautification Award.

The family writes: "Our dad was the best. His family always came first and was the most important thing to him. He was kind and understanding. He raised the boys to be kind providers. He raised the girls to be caring, self-sufficient and independent - but he always worried about all of us and wanted to help us all even through our adulthood. We had the kindest and most selfless father on the planet. He was the best father to us, and the best husband to our mother, there is nothing he wouldn't have done for any of us. He never asked anything in return and was just so happy to have children and grandchildren that he could love so much."

Alfred was preceded in death by his parents; beloved wife, Barbara Nault; sons, Terry Nault and Shawn Nault; and son-in-law Walter Kenneth Blum. Survivors include daughters, Sandra Blum and Bobbie Jo VanSickle (Jimmy); son, Darren Nault (Debra); grandsons, Brandon Blum, Xander Nault, Gabriel Nault and Everett Nault; and daughter-in-law, Tanya Nault.