Dear Linda,

I am writing to express my condolences to you for your sad loss.  Your father was an iconic figure in Grande Prairie and I feel privileged to have known him and to have worked with him.  Al made an impact on the business community as well as on the lives of many people.

I’ve had time to pause and reflect on the years I worked at Visa.  Al was a man who may not have been large in stature but he was a giant in so many ways. I’ve worked for some fine people over the years, but there was no one whom I respected and admired more.  I think its indisputable that he was a giant in cerebral matters too, and he must have gone to bed every night wondering where the next opportunity to start a business would present itself.

I still see the laughter in his eyes when he handed me a slightly risque Dear Ann Landers joke and waited for me to react.  He had such a wicked sense of humor and he was just fun to be around.

No one enjoyed a golf game more, especially when he played well, or just a brief visit from someone stopping in at the office.  I think he was not just a keen businessman but also a man who enjoyed people, particularly smart people.

I wonder how many people benefited from being mentored by Al Side and how many he quietly supported or offered a helping hand. I say again, what a guy and what a legacy he leaves.

Not only was he involved in countless business ventures, he was also a hero to his outstanding family. I know how proud he was of you and thought you were capable of anything and everything and it seems you have lived up to those expectations.

Such is the human condition, we live our lives the best we can, and then we go on to the next life.  Al lived his life, he was an exceptional man, happy in his success but always humble and self-deprecating. I’m so grateful that I knew him and his family, that I had the opportunity to work for him and that I considered him a friend.

Please give Barb and Rhonda a hug for me and tell them what they already know. That Al was an exceptional man and his passing will leave a huge hole in your lives, as well as in the lives of many.

With sincere sympathy to all of you,

Pearl