ALFREDO PHOENIX Obituary

Alfredo "Al" Augustus Phoenix, Sr., 80, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 29, 2008 in Charlotte, NC after a courageous battle with lung cancer. He was born on September 7, 1928 in Winchester, VA to John Henry and Missouri Havana Phoenix. He attended the University of Maryland and Colorado Springs Blair Business College. He was stationed at Fort Carson in the U.S. Army when he met and married Emma Lee Wiley of Colorado Springs. During his 20-year Army career, he and his family lived in France, Germany, and several posts in the United States. Phoenix was a veteran of the Korean War and also served in Vietnam before retiring in 1969 as Sergeant First Class. Upon returning to Colorado Springs in 1969, he began another career with the Colorado Springs YMCA-YWCA-USO, serving as its business manager and later director of administration before retiring. Al, as he was affectionately known to friends, loved to travel and particularly enjoyed driving cross country. He was also a very talented pianist and spent much time entertaining family and friends. He found great joy in being a grandfather and cherished every moment he could spend with his beloved grandsons, Cameron and Alfredo "Trey". A loving husband, father, brother, and grandfather, he was preceded in death by his first wife of 39 years, Emma Lee Wiley Phoenix in 1992. He married Corine Robertson of Charlotte, NC in 1994, who survives him. The couple lived in both Colorado Springs and Charlotte until 2005, when they moved permanently to Charlotte to be closer to his daughter Alfreda's family. In addition to his devoted widow Corine, Phoenix is survived by brothers Henry Vincent of North Las Vegas, Nevada and John Raymond of Winchester; three children, Alfreda Phoenix Belton (David) of Charlotte, NC, Angela Phoenix of Phoenix, AZ, Alfredo Augustus Phoenix, Jr. (Sachiko) of Washington, DC; and grandsons Cameron Bentley Scott Belton and Alfredo Augustus Phoenix III along with a host of relatives and friends. A private memorial service will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado in the spring. Evergreen Funeral Home is handling local services. Charlotte arrangements are being made by Long & Son Funeral Home.