BOMBER MEMORIAL

ALSON LeROY "AL" NIHART ^JR ~ Class of 1966 Honorary
March 15, 1947 - September 2, 2018

~ ~

~

Alson “Al” LeRoy Nihart ^Jr passed away suddenly (heart attack) at his home in West Richland on Sunday morning, September 2, 2018, at the age 71. Al was born March 15, 1947 in Portland, OR to Alson LeRoy Nihart of Buhl, ID and Joyce Pinkston of Olathe, KS.

The family moved to the Tri-Cities when Al was three months old, and although he has lived in Portland and traveled extensively, he always considered Richland his home.

Energetic and driven, Al was a natural mechanic who, as a child went out and obtained his own sponsorship to put together a go-kart before he was eight. Ever industrious, he bored the chambers on his lawn mower so he could mow lawns more quickly and do more of them.

Al was the son of a watch maker and jeweler and grew up assisting in his parents' business after school and during holidays. (Nihart's Jewelers was located on the Parkway next to Mickey's Shoe Repair). At a young age, Al’s father had him take a clock apart then put it back together and at the age of twelve, his mother would drive him to clients' homes to repair grandfather clocks. More often than not, Al repaired the clocks while his father focused on jewelry and watches. Al began running his own portion of the business, repairing watches for Timex while a sophomore in high school.

He attended Lewis and Clark Elementary School, Carmichael Junior High School and Richland's Columbia High School with the class of 1966.

Al left high school early to join the United States Navy, serving his country from October 7, 1965 to October 3, 1968 when he was honorably discharged. Upon his return, he received his GED and learned welding at Columbia Basin Community College (CBC), and later worked for Exxon Nuclear as a nuclear-grade welder.

He traveled the world as a world-class windsurfer, was an avid scuba diver, hunter and fisherman, and raced a nitro funny car, “The Showtime”. He returned to Richland when his father became ill, and resumed repairing clocks while caring for his parents, thus taking over the family business.

Al had a dry, sometimes bizarre sense of humor, often making up his own jokes as he went. He also had unique abilities that allowed him to stand up for others and for what was right, when many would not.

He is survived by his wife, Holly Pedit; and his daughter, Joan Murphy-Nihart.

The family would like to thank Tri-Cities Journal of Business for the use of the photo from a recent article.

Al was cremated and interred at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR near his parents.

An informal Memorial Service was held Friday, September 14, 2018, at Flat Top Park in West Richland at 1:00 p.m. The family suggested bringing finger food for sharing, stories for sharing and a card to share your own memories of Al, to be placed on a memory board.

“Never let emotion cloud your aim; calm yourself before you pull the trigger.”

Guest Book.

Published in the Tri-City Herald on September 9, 2018.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).