Ernest Alfred "Al" Pulford, Jr., age 101, dedicated husband, father, grandfather and friend – passed away in the early morning hours in Pensacola, FL on Monday, July 10, 2023, with his son Kevin by his side.

Al, as he was called by friends, was born to Ernest, Sr. and Katherine Pulford in Cleveland, OH on April 5, 1922. His intelligence was apparent early in his life, as he skipped a grade in elementary school. He began working for Ohio Bell Telephone Co. at age seventeen.  At age twenty, he enlisted in the US Army, serving in the Signal Corps during WWII. Due to his high scores on initial tests, they made him an instructor. During Officer Candidate School, he smashed his patella at Asbury Park and was subsequently assigned to Algona, a German POW camp in Iowa, where he was in charge of the Officers Club. After his discharge in 1945, he attended Cleveland State University, graduating with an electrical engineering degree. He was a lifelong member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. While living in Ohio, he met his wife, Martha, marrying her in 1951. They moved to NJ where Al worked at AT&T headquarters in New York for three years. While living in NJ, their first child, Barbara, was born in 1953. He was then transferred back to Ohio, where two sons, Bruce and Kevin were born in subsequent years.

Several years later, he was once again transferred to NJ where he worked at Bell Labs for three years on a classified project for the Army. For this project he was required to obtain Top Secret clearance, as it involved our conflict in Vietnam. Following this project, the family returned to Ohio where Al continued working for Ohio Bell until his retirement at age fifty-nine.

Through the years, Al enjoyed playing golf on the weekends, working in the yard, playing cards, especially Bridge, sailing and spending time with the family. After retiring, he and Martha moved down to NC, as they were tired of the cold, snowy winters in Cleveland. Martha learned to play golf after they moved, and they enjoyed spending time together on the golf course, canoeing on a nearby lake, and socializing with friends. While in NC, Ernest began another hobby: wood carving. It was amazing how he could look at a piece of wood and see a creature hiding within, be it a giraffe, penguin, or one of the many birds he carved. He was a perfectionist, and it showed in his pieces, which were often displayed around town.

He and Martha then moved down to Pensacola to be near Kevin's family. They bought a condo on the beach at Perdido Key for the family to use, and so that Martha could watch the ever-changing ocean and the dolphins as they swam by. His children and grandchildren often spent time there with grandma and grandpa.

Al was first of all a family man, and he spent many hours working to ensure our family was well provided for, often bringing work home at night. However, he always found time in the evening to help with homework or play some catch in the yard. Al was a serious and religious man, with high morals, but had a lighter side also, and often had us laughing (or groaning) at his puns. He was a generous man and a loving husband and helped to take care of our Mom in her waning years until she passed.  Engineering was his calling, and he enjoyed having projects to work on, problems to solve, things to build or fix. Al was a big fan of the Cleveland Browns and Indians having watched many a game. He had a sharp mind and great memory, and continued playing Bridge and doing puzzles well into his 90's.

Al is predeceased by his mother, Katherine (Griswold) and father, Ernest Alfred Pulford Sr.; his wife, Martha (Ewing) Pulford; his sisters, Jean, Catherine, and Margaret; and his son-in-law Robert Keelor.

He is survived by his three children, Barbara White Keelor, Bruce Pulford and Kevin Pulford; his six grandchildren, David White and Rachel (White) Breeden, Rowdy Keelor, Kyle Pulford, Corey Pulford, and Caden Pulford; and his seven great grandchildren.

Memorial Service will be held 11:00am Friday, August 11, 2023, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Pensacola, FL. For those who wish to watch the service Livestream, please follow this link: https://youtube.com/live/kZA9okE0E2Q

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Trinity Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden or Emerald Coast Hospice.

The family would like to give a special thank you to Emerald Coast Hospice, the Azalea Trace staff at Oak Bridge Terrace and Willowbrooke Court.