I remember meeting this wonderful gentleman when I came to Athletics, turned into one of the people I LOVED seeing daily. I Miss You AL! I do want to say my oldest now works on Campus and I am so glad you took time to talk with me occasionally! - wish I could have introduced him to you! Love, John! You are STILL MISSED!

Independently, my son Jim and I immediately had the same reaction to the photo on the back of the memorial program (an enlargement was displayed outside the chapel.


Al waving from the top of the grassy hill was a near duplicate of the final scene in "Love is a many Splendored Thing" with William Holden waving from a nearly identical hill.


Jim had seen the movie many years ago, as had I, and I had watched it again just the night before the memorial! 


I wondered if the film had any special remembrance for Jeannie and Al.


Al was great friend!


Dick Rutter '54           

I heard about Al's death last Saturday and was deeply saddened that he had not lived long enough to read my book about the American All Stars rugby league tour in 53, to which he contributed such magical stories. I only met Al twice, both times he was wonderful with his generosity of time and spirit.

Having travelled from England to interview him a second time in April 2007, he was in bed recovering from an operation. I arrived late and he was about to have his daily treatment. But he told his nurse "Leave us to it - this fella's come further than you have"!!

It was so fitting that on Sunday I was at the Rugby League Heritage Centre in Huddersfield and there on the wall in the boardroom was an All Stars team group including Teddy Grossman, Ed Demerjian, Bob Buckley, Pat Henry, Al Abajian, Vince Jones, Jack Bonetti and Big Al.

My book No Helmets Required will be out next year - I had hoped Al would be a special guest at a launch event at Stanford. I will invite his family instead.

Thanks Al.

Gavin Willacy, Bengeo, England

As a kid, Al was known to me as Mr. Kirkland, my best friend's Dad. I have a lot of memories of him, and, not surprisingly, many of them revolve around food!
Going to Kelly's house almost always included some culinary revelation that I would then go home and rave about to my mother. Though Mom had never heard of Steak Diane, based on my reviews, she decided one year to make it for my Dad's birthday. It wasn't until she started cooking that she realized how time-consuming the recipe was. She was so grateful that she had started in the morning! (And she was thrilled with the result- it was delicious).
i had my first artichoke at Al's table and love them to this day. I saw my first pomegranate when Al packed one in Kelly's school lunch. 
My very favorite dish of Al's was his Swedish Pancakes. When I would sleep over at Kelly's house, he would always ask what we wanted for breakfast. I can't remember us ever requesting anything else.
And then, of course, there were the cow's tongue sandwiches Al used to make for Kelly. I still remember sitting on the school bleachers and shrieking when Kelly pulled the bread off her sandwich, grabbed the big grey tongue and waved it at me. YUCK! It was the one thing she could never get me to try. 
Al was just a cool Dad. He drove big comfy cars that had 8 Track tape players in them! And he had a great sense of humor. When Kelly was asked to say grace over dinner one night and responded with "Rub a Dub Dub, Thanks For the Grub", Al just chortled and served the plates.
So thanks Mr. Kirkland - for everything. Especially the grub.
Love,
Bonnie


 

Al and I met first on the field at Stanford playing against each other when Al
was attending USC as a freshman in 1948.  Later on when we played next to each other as left end and left tackle on the defense, there are many times we compared ideas on what the opposing team would probably do on the next play.  Al was an astute student of football. 

My favorite story relates to a game which was the most important game of our Rose Bowl season.  USC and Stanford had each won 7 games in a row and which ever team won the contest between them would go to the Rose Bowl.  It was late in the game and the score was tied at 20-20 with about 4 minutes to go.  USC had the ball 3rd down with about 5 yards to go for a first down to retain the ball on their drive to score.   Al and I discussed what the next play would be and both went back to caution our linebacker, Skip Crist, to be looking for a certain pass play.  USC called that very play and Skip intercepted the ball to set up Stanford"s winning score.  

Later on,  Al was the spark plug of who kept everyone on that team involved in our reunions and up to date on the lives of all the players. 

I have fond memories of My Uncle. The best being when The L.A. Rams went to the Super Bowl. My Mom called her brother to see if he could get tickets for me. From what I was told he really could've cared less about Pro football but since it was for his  nephew, a die hard Rams fan, he agreed to see what he could do. He made a few calls and was able to aquire tickets for Super Bowl 14 at the Rose Bowl in Pasedena. It was a real special trip. Flying by myself for the first time to S.F. and getting the special treatment from Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Al. We flew down to Pasadena for the game where the Steelers proved to be to tough for the Rams but that was the only downside of the trip. I only got to see Al a few more times after that, a couple years later when i was going to Guam for the Navy and once more when Al and jeanne came to Nashville back in 97' or so. I always admired him and will truly miss him. He really knew about living well and eating well. I remember him saying " Do you want to eat to live or live to eat"  I emailed him a few years back to get the technique he used to make the best asparagus. I hated asparagus until I had it the way he prepared it. So good!!!  I am saddened that I have lost the last real connection to my Mothers past and regret  that I wasn't able to ask him more question about her when they grew up. 
I will Miss you!
   

Kirkland Family House Rule.... This rule is cherished by Dad's kids and grandchildren too. (by the cooks anyway!)

"The Cook NEVER cleans."

When I was little going to Opa & Oma's house always meant giner ale and 7-up. I was never allowed sodas as a kid, but anything else might stain their always white carpets - so it was the treat of the day. His black and white tiled kitchen and the ever gourmet spread of food was like a scene from a movie or a fairy tale. Even though I was always at the "kids table" in the kitchen it shaped a huge part of my life to see their table always set with many knives and forks and proper glassware.

Until I became a culinary professional as an adult, my Opa was the only other foodie I had ever known, the only person who would spend an entire day to make a sauce, and the only one to think that the holidays was mostly an excuse for an extra elaborate meal. I was able to lie my way into my first waitressing job because of the proper table settings I learned from him as a kid.

I still dream about black and white tiled kitchens as the ultimate design, and I still can't drink 7-up without feeling like a kid in my mary janes on a white sofa on white carpets fearing to spill a drop of my special drink.

Back before electricity, Dad took me on a trip to visit colleges in Oregon.

My favorite memory from that trip, was dinning with Dad at the Cantalis (Sp?) Broiler in Portland. (I remember the name of the restaraunt but not the hotel)

Dad taught me how to order wine (I did not get any, of course) How to check the moisture of the cork and all. But he also told me I should always order something I could not have at home.... So I ordered Frog legs! (They were not bad) But Dad ordered a big fat steak! Frog legs don't have much meat on them... hummm.

His ploy to get my brothers to come to our regular trips to the library was to take us to Swensen's Ice Cream after... but again, you had to order a different ice cream each time.

Dad and I, being the family bibliophiles, often had ice cream alone together.

Al,

Before you forget it, dump the blue and gold tie!

I didn't have the chance to tell you that I've done several thorough reviews of my DVD of the '51 SC game.  I had heard that you were good, but I had no idea you were THAT good!  Best Stanford-SC game ever.

Your pal, Frank

Somebody better show up with some good Zete stories.