Alf Bjorn Pedersen, 97, longtime resident of Monterey, died peacefully July 14 at Grandview Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. He was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Lena Kinne Pedersen, in 2012.
Born in Arendal, Norway, on March 27, 1920, Alf immigrated to the United States in 1925. A veteran of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 and was honorably discharged in 1945. A B-24 crew engineer and top turret gunner, he was awarded the American Theater Ribbon and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with one Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Alf was the loving father of Paul B. Pedersen and wife Laurie of St. Petersburg, Florida; John K. Pedersen and wife Alisha of Atlanta, Georgia; Eric J. Pedersen and wife Debra of Vilcabamba, Ecuador; Ellen Pedersen Allison of Birmingham, Alabama; Ann Pedersen Gazdik and husband John of Schenectady, New York; Hannah Pedersen Moran and husband Jeffrey of Great Barrington; and had many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Jan Pedersen and wife June Pedersen of Stockbridge and his sister, Gloria Nicolai, and husband Peter Nicolai of Egremont. He was predeceased by his brother Per Bjorn in 2014, sister-in-law Grace Johnson Pedersen in 1991 and son-in-law Scott Allison in 2016.
Alf was an accomplished master journeyman and steamfitter and retired from General Electric Corporation in Pittsfield in 1985, continuing to work in all phases of construction with his son Eric Pedersen’s company, Eric Pedersen Construction, in Monterey, for many years. He was an attendee of several Berkshire evangelical churches.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 22, at 11 a.m. at FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME in Great Barrington. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Interment at Corashire Cemetery in Monterey will immediately follow. Donations in memory of Alf may be made to Home Base, a program that helps post-9/11 service members, veterans and their families heal from the invisible wounds of war. Donations may be sent c/o FINNERTY & STEVENS FUNERAL HOME, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to the family, go to www.finnertyandstevens.com.
