Kenneth "Ken" Brist, 83

Kenneth "Ken" Brist, 83, of Northport, Ala., passed away at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Nov. 10, 2004.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Rose, and by his three sisters and four brothers.

He is survived by his children, Kenneth and Martha Brist of Valparaiso, Ind., Barbara and Ray Carroll of Northport, Randy and Georgia Brist of Lafayette, Ind., eight grandchildren; four beautiful great-granddaughters; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Ken who was affectionately known to all friends as "Dude," a nickname that he earned during his many adventures as a Boy Scout. He was born in the family home in Somers, on Nov. 27, 1920. His parents were Orin and Maggie Brist. He went to school in Somers and then to Flathead County High School where he graduated in the class of 1938. Upon graduation, Dude traveled by train to Washington D.C., where he went to work in a store owned by his aunt.

During that time, he told of his many trips to the big city of New York City to see the World's Fair and to see many baseball games and the likes of Lou Gehrig and young players like Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams.

With the outbreak of World War II, Dude went to work in an aircraft factory in Baltimore. It was there in 1942 that he married his Montana sweetheart, Rose. Shortly thereafter he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was then transferred to the newly created Army Air Corps where he was sent to Officer Candidate School. He emerged as a 90-day wonder, 2nd lieutenant. He was then sent to flight school and became a navigator on a Super Fortress B-29.

After the war, he returned to Somers and began work at the Somers Mill. He worked there until the mill closed and then took his family with him as he enrolled in college to take advantage of the GI Bill as did so many others of his generation. He graduated from Montana State University in 1953 as an industrial engineer. While receiving his education, he earned the Coldwater Scholarship for academic achievement in engineering and was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honorary fraternity.

Like others of the "greatest generation," Dude would now spend the next 30 plus years working to help make this the country we know today. He chose to work for the Aluminum Company of America, ALCOA, and he and his family moved to Vancouver, Wash. After seven years there, his administrative and supervisory skills were recognized and he was promoted to superintendent of the ingot department which required a family move to Evansville, Ind. From there, he was transferred to Chicago and then to the home plant in New Kensington, Pa. His last move was to ALCOA's Wear Ever Division in Fort Wayne, Ind. The last 12 years of his career were spent there and he retired in 1985 from the company which is now known as Lincoln Manufacturing.

Dude and Rose retired to Northport, where they could be near grandchildren and where Dude could follow his passion of being more than a weekend duffer on the golf course. He was also an avid follower of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team and served many years as an usher at home football games. Watching his grandchildren grow into adults and immersing himself into producing a 200-plus page family history were his lasting legacy.

Dude was a loving, faithful, and loyal husband, father and grandfather. His gentle manner and quick wit were admired by all of those who he knew as friends. Dude and Rose made yearly trips home to Montana to visit friends and their many relatives, and as his wife did before him, Dude will return to the beautiful Flathead Valley one last time.

A memorial service will be held at a later date in Somers.

The family requests that any memorials be made to the American Heart Association, 1449 Medical Park Dr., Birmingham, AL 35213; or to The Arc of Tuscaloosa County, P.O. Box 40246, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404.