Albert Joseph Kiehn passed away on June 7th at Providence Holy Family Hospital surrounded by his family
and loved ones.  A graveside burial will be held on June 25th  at 10:30 AM at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Al was born in Oakland, California on February 7th, 1938 to Henry and Bertha (Massoz) Kiehn, and was
the 7th of 9 children. At a young age, he and his family moved to Spokane in the Hillyard area where he
attended grade school at St. Patrick's.  Al was a playful and mischievous little boy but coming from a
large family with little extra money, also learned the value of hard work. He would often collect and sell
soda cans and loved to buy burgers and sweets with his hard-earned money.
As a teenager, he attended Rogers High School, where he made some of his fondest memories. Al was
an avid football and basketball player; He played as a halfback on his school's football team and proudly
remembered contributing to the team's winning streak where they only lost one game in three years.
When he was 16, he won a trip to Hollywood through a school raffle and met one of his favorite
musicians, Bing Crosby. Through mutual friends, Al would meet Marion, his high school sweetheart and
they were always by each other's sides ever since.
After they both graduated high school, Al and Marion got married and had two children: Susan and
Doug. As a young husband and father, Al worked many different jobs (including a few years in the Army
Reserve) doing whatever was necessary to support his family. Eventually, he went to work for Western
Fruit Express (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) as a refrigeration mechanic and was a dedicated
and loyal employee for over 30 years. Despite his often long and grueling workdays, Al was a loving,
generous, and humorous husband and father. He loved sharing his passion for sports with his son Doug,
and he and Marion never missed any of their son's sports games. He also enjoyed taking Doug fishing,
Susan to the railroad union meetings, and the family on summer picnics. He was proud when he was
able to pay for his children's college tuition, so they would have more opportunities than he did.
After 30 years at Western Fruit Express, Al enjoyed the peace and quiet of retirement with Marion. He
loved visiting with his family, and he and Marion would rotate between visiting them in Seattle and
hosting them at their house in Spokane. He was a doting grandfather who loved to tell stories and jokes
from his youth, and instilled the importance of hard work and education. He also enjoyed going to the
casino with his sister Theresa and fixing the appliances around his house.
Al was a special man who faced adversity with laughter, his unique sense of humor, and perseverance,
in order to give his family the best lives possible. He will be remembered as the best and most loving
husband, father (in-law), grandfather, and family member who will be dearly missed. His family is deeply
proud of him for all he achieved.
Al is survived by his wife, Marion; his daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Keith Wong; his son and
daughter-in-law, Doug and Nan Kiehn; his (4) grandchildren, Derek Wong, Daniel Wong, Joanna Moore,
and Alyssa Kiehn; his siblings Florence Wright and Tom Kiehn, as well as nieces, nephews, and great-
grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Bertha and Henry Kiehn and siblings, Mary Louise
McDonald, Helen Farnham, and Marie Krogh, Lorraine LaBrecque, Rose Evans, and Theresa McKay.