Albert Strasser died on March 12, 2022 at age 86.
Al was a man of character, vision and depth. As an infant, his mother left him to the care of the New York Foundling Hospital. He grew up among several foster families, and he went on to become a Renaissance man and a pillar of the community.
At 18 he joined the Air Force and fought in the Korean war. At 22, he taught himself French, German and some Japanese.
At 23, while studying in New York, Al met the love of his life, Susan Francesco. They spent three years in courtship and were married in 1963 at St. Paul Church in Burlington, NJ. In 1968 they moved to their dream home in Edgewater Park, where they have lived ever since.
Al worked at Air France for 30 years, and was able to take his family to Africa, France, Italy, Ireland, England, Scandinavia, and dozens of other destinations that provided lifelong memories, which he immortalized in Super 8 movies.
He was active at St. Barnabas Church in Burlington, twice as senior warden and as a baritone in the choir. In the mid-1970s he was inducted into Philadelphia’s Chapel of Four Chaplains, which recognizes and honors outstanding members of society whose lives model a giving spirit and unconditional service to community, nation, and humanity.
Al’s passions included his family, filmmaking, wine, cycling, computers, classical music, movies, sailing, archery, opera, ballet and history. He was a voracious reader, a believer in and practitioner of Yankee ingenuity, and an accomplished baker and cook.
In 2001, siblings whom Al never knew tracked him down. After searching for years, Steve and Barry Klein, from his mother’s side, and Lily, from his father’s side, called on Christmas Eve to introduce themselves as his long lost family. They arranged a family reunion and Al formed an especially strong bond with Steve, along with Steve’s partner Marcia and his children Darya and Adi. Over the next twenty-one years their love grew and they spoke regularly.
In addition to Susan, Steve and Marcia, Al is survived by his son Christian and his wife Lori; daughter Claudia; son Colin and his wife Jean Farrell; grandchildren Juliette, Adam, Jacob, Conor, Fiona and Clare; brother-in-law William (Zeke) Jobes, niece Lisa Jobes and nephew Michael Jobes.
Visitation will be at the Page Funeral Home, 302 E. Union St., Burlington, NJ, 08016 on Friday, April 1, 2022 from 7 to 9 pm, and on Saturday, April 2, 2022 from 9:30 to 10:30 am. A mass of Christian burial will follow at St. Paul Church at 11:00 am on Saturday.
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