Alfred Ronald Fosse

Obituary For Alfred Ronald Fosse

Alfred “Al” Fosse

Alfred Ronald Fosse, 98, of Ormond Beach, Florida passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. He “graduated” from this earth to join his wife of 57 years, the love of his life, Rita Elizabeth Fosse (Becker) in their new eternal home.

Al was born September 23, 1926 in Ottawa, Illinois to Alfred and Belle Fosse (Olson). He grew up the only brother to his three sisters, Hilde Sanderson of Holderness, NH, Anne Fosse formerly of Oswego, IL (deceased), and Sonja Guzman of Bettendorf, IA. His life-long love of baseball and golf began as a youth. His dedication to his favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, earned him the nickname “Joe” after Cardinal star player Joe Medwick. To his siblings, he was always “Joe”.

He graduated from Ottawa High School with four years of ROTC training and enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1943. He was called to active duty in early 1945 and served in the Pacific theater in the Philippines, and later in Tokyo, Japan during the post war occupation effort. After honorable discharge from the service in 1947, he enrolled at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN where he graduated in 3 ½ years in 1950. He then began a distinguished 37-year career with The Aetna Casualty and Surety Company.

His career path was in the Aetna Bond Department, which included 6 years as Bond Manager in the Minneapolis office followed by 25 years as Bond Manager in the Chicago office. During these assignments, he and his family made homes in St. Louis Park, MN and Naperville, IL. Al retired from Aetna in 1987 having earned great admiration and appreciation from his associates and customers for all he had accomplished in service to the bond industry and profitability for the company. In 1995 Al and Rita retired to Ormond Beach, FL and were among the first residents at the Ormond Heritage condominiums where they resided until Rita’s death in 2016 and Al’s recent passing.

It was 1957 when Al met his future wife, the widow, Rita Athmann (Becker) of St. Cloud, MN. They married in 1959, and Al acquired a fast family of three boys who he officially adopted in 1962. The boys, Brian, Gary, and Jeff were later joined by new siblings Eric and Susan. Al was a great father to all his children. He fully participated in their developing a love of sports, stressed the importance of education, and modeled a life of honesty, integrity, gratitude, and faith.

In recent years, Al frequently spoke of how “lucky” he was. He expressed gratitude for his lucky decision to enlist and survive in the Army Air Corp, lucky in choosing Aetna over GE to start his career, lucky in marrying “the love of his life”, lucky to make six holes-in-one, lucky to retire to Ormond Beach and live at the Ormond Heritage. His children know the truth. They are the lucky ones to have had a father who worked hard, supported them and their mother with dedication and love, lived a life of generosity and gratitude, and made outstanding decisions throughout his life.

Al was a proud participant in community and business. He was a former president of the Minnesota Surety Bond Association; Board Member, Vice President & Secretary of Aetna Casualty & Surety of Illinois; President of Naperville PONY League Baseball; member of Cress Creek Country Club (Naperville); member of Oceanside Country Club (Ormond Beach); member of Southern Senior Golf Association; member of Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church; life-long fan of the St. Louis Cardinals & Chicago Bears; a participating father in the sports and activity lives of his children; a loving, loyal, and dedicated husband; and a very proud Norwegian.

In addition to his sisters Hilde and Sonja, Al is survived by children Dr. Brian Fosse (Gwen) of Spring Lake, MI, Gary Fosse (Susan) of Statham, GA, Jeffrey Fosse (Lee Ann) of Stillwater, MN, and Susan Elizabeth Fosse of Bolingbrook, IL. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held on Friday, February 7 at 11:00 AM at the Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church, 105 Amsden Road, Ormond Beach. The service will be followed by a celebration luncheon at the Oceanside Country Club, 75 N. Halifax Drive, Ormond Beach.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Al’s memory to the Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church or the Alzheimer’s Association.

The staff of Central Cremation Services is honored to be selected to provide end-of-life services.

(If you order flowers, you must obtain a delivery address from a family member. Please do not send flowers to the crematory)

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