Albert Franklin Oppel

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Donald M. Buchwald on May 17, 2002:

I knew Al Oppel as a cadet but not very well. I got to know him very much better in retirement here in Hot Springs Village. I learned even more about him in death from the wonderful outpouring from other classmates, his family, others who knew him and from the input that went into writing his obituary. // Al became aware that Carole and I were looking at the Village for retirement, and encourage us to do it. He welcomed us to the Village and we began a long process of reinforcing each others' concerns for our class and for the leadership of the Military Academy, of the Armed Forces and of the Nation, in that sorry era we all hoped is now behind us. Al sponsored the last H2 reunion, which was held here in the Village two years ago (Carole and I were honored to be their guests at some of their activities). He was really looking forward to this year's H2 reunion back east, and a side trip to West Point to investigate the columbarium facilites there. // I knew Al was a distinguished educator, but i did not know how much he gave to others through his guft as a scholar until I read his final obituary. I had known him as a very principled person with strong confictions. He and I discussed his work as a school board member for one of our local school districts, which suffered from mismanagement and the tendency for everyone who succeeded in the district being related to others in the hierarchy. Starting as a lonely voice for good administrative practices, academic standards and fiscal responsibility, he was on the board for the arrival of a new superintendent. he was there to see a more serene atmosphere of steady progress in all areas and the "unexpected finding of monies within current budget figures" for pay raises for all faculty members this year. // Al recognized he was having problems even before his doctors, but they cooperated with him and ran the appropriate tests. The last test results led to an instant decision to hospitalize him that Wednesday for a double by-pass operation (with a possibility of a triple by-pass) that Friday. It was to be a triple by-pass, which appeared to be a complete success. He looked great and was increasing in "strength and wisdom" every day thereafter. He was in church for services Saturday(Sally and his usual practice) and on Sunday morning he was out for an early morning walk. His neighbor saw him on the ground on the cart trail. He probably died instantly of a massive heart failure. // From his memorial service, from a passage requested by the family (Book of Isaiah, Cahpter 43, Verse 4), I would close with "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and i have loved thee . . ."

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