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He graduated in 1954 from South Gate High School
received an Associates from East Los Angeles Junior College
It was there that he met Paulette Puyravaud
he approached Paulette and said “Mademoiselle
vous etes la plus belle du monde” (You are the most beautiful girl in the world)
but instead of “plus belle” meaning the most beautiful
he accidently said “poubelle” which translates to trashcan
Paulette had a sense of humor and they were able to move on from that awkward first encounter
Al received a Bachelor’s degree in Art from UCLA in 1965 and a Master’s in Art from Cal State Los Angeles in 1970
Corinne Marguerite (1962) and Veronique Isabelle (1970)
Al’s talent in art extended to carpentering
constructing cabinetry and various forms of woodwork
He was often at his table saw in his driveway in Downey
all put to creative and practical use in all of his homes
Al worked as an Art Teacher for the Alhambra School District for over 35 years
It was there that he taught art to students at 13 Middle schools in Alhambra and Monterey Park
Various student projects included a Vincent Van Gogh slideshow accompanied by Don McLean’s Starry
Starry Night and several murals painted by students on school campuses
Parker was known as having unique ideas and overcoming obstacles to further his vision
A few times when the school district chose to cancel the art and music programs
Parker helped parents of students organize noisy protests at school board meetings
persuading the board members to reconsider their budget cut decisions
Al began to delve into writing and self-publishing
with his own mail-order business called “The Ticking Mind Company”
marketing humorous books and posters he created for teachers and school staff
Al converted his garage from a woodshop to a print shop
taught himself to print and in true DIY fashion
Paulette helped manage the orders and bookkeeping
Al seemed to enjoy the writing aspect of his business
Al and Paulette enjoyed traveling every summer to the southwest of France and occasionally exploring other French regions
Their granddaughter Anastasia (Stacy) was their joy and they brought her along on many trips
The Parkers spent good times with family and dear friends throughout the years
They enjoyed many weddings and parties in both California and France including Corinne’s marriage to Dirk
Paulette passed on in 2005 leaving Albert alone with cherished memories of his beloved French bride
Al immersed himself in writing stories and plays
some of which were acted out by friends on a stage he assembled in his home in France
2021 at the Fauconnet funeral home in Cozes
Our deepest gratitude and appreciation go out to Paulette’s niece Mathilde Rambeau and the Rambeau family
in addition to many dear friends who were so helpful during this time
Albert was laid to rest next to his beloved wife at the Cimetiere Des Bois
we ask for donations to the Alhambra Educational Foundation
Copyright © 2023 The Downey Patriot Newspaper
If your perfect summer holiday has the kids playing happily with new friends while you relax
our pick of child-friendly hotels and apartments across Europe could be just the ticket
View image in fullscreenChildren can help collect eggs
pick vegetables and care for Mollie the donkey at 30-acre eco-friendly Lanzarote Retreats near Arrieta on the north coast
Little ones can also make friends in the mini-adventure playground
or splash around on inflatable toys in the solar-heated pool
Run by the largest eco energy system on the island
None has Wi-Fi (deliberately) but it is available in the shared areas
but the track to the beach isn’t very buggy-friendly