Albert J. Lampo Sr., 93, East Moline, died at his home on May 6, 2018 with his daughter Beth, his caregiver of thirteen years by his side. Visitation is from 10 AM until 12:00 PM Thursday, at Van Hoe Funeral Home Ltd., East Moline, with a prayer service at 11:45PM. Private family graveside services will follow at Rock Island National Cemetery with Fr. Donald Levitt officiating. The East Moline American Legion Post 227 will conduct Military Honors. "Big Al" was born October 14, 1924 in Moline, to Alphons and Mary (DeBel) Lampo. On October 11, 1947 he married Bernice May Lundeen. She died February 1, 1991. He then married Vera Bahan on April 23, 1993. She died May 1, 2000. Albert graduated from United Township High School in 1942. He joined the Navy in February of 1943, serving on the USS Gunason DE 795 in both the Atlantic and South Pacific theaters as Fire Controlman 1st Class. After being honorably discharged in February 1946, Albert worked in the lathing trade, later, he worked for Allied Construction for more than 20 years, retiring in 1988. It was then that Al and Bernice began to rack up miles on their Chevy van, visiting their children. They would drive to the "North Woods" to see their son, Al Jr., or drive "down the road a piece" to Arkansas to visit their son Jerry or their daughter Denice and their families, or drive out to Northern California, which he called "that Mickey Mouse Place," to visit Beth and her family. Big Al made many friends in all the places he and Bernice visited. Albert was a lifelong member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, East Moline until its closing. He lived his entire 93 years in East Moline, first growing up in his parent's home on 13th Street and then on 28th Avenue in the house he built for Bernice as a wedding gift. He was an avid reader of Tom Clancy, John Sanford, John Grisham and many others; a reader of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, which as a boy, he was one of their paper carriers; a tenacious crossword puzzle solver, the harder, the better; a self-taught artist, with many of his pen and ink drawings of barns and outhouses hanging on family and friends' walls; a cartoonist, capturing many co-workers, family, friends, and himself, as entertaining caricatures in various situations; a master woodworker, whose wooden toys, bird houses and doll furniture have made wonderful gifts; a league bowler, who loved to take his grandchildren, Corey and Andrew, with him every chance he could; and a gardener, whose vegetables made the best secret spaghetti sauce in the world. But most of all, Al was a father of four children, who survive him; Albert Jr., Lac du Flambeau, WI, Denise Campagna, Hot Springs Village AR; Beth Lampo, East Moline and Jerry Lampo, Hot Springs, AR; a grandfather, "Bampo" of six grandchildren and a great-grandfather of 11 great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind his siblings, brothers, Gerard and Edward; and sisters, Mary Ann Meincke, Anne Blomme, and Theresa Challenger and special friend, Barb Michalek. He was preceded in death by his two wives, his parents, and a brother and best friend Joseph. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Otolaryngology Department at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA.

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Thursday, May 10, 2018 11:45 AM

Van Hoe Funeral Home 1500 Sixth Street East Moline, Illinois 61244