Arbis Shipley's Obituary
Arbis “Al” Darrell Shipley died on Friday, April 19, 2013 of natural causes. He was 85 years old. Born on May 4, 1927, he was the oldest of the four children born to Melvin and Goldie Shipley. Al and his family left the 'Dust Bowl' of Oklahoma in 1939, when he was 12 years old. It took a year for the Shipley family to work their way from Oklahoma to California, where they ultimately settled in Redwood City. Al graduated from Sequoia High School in 1945 after only 2 1/2 years. Al often said he was born in California at the age of 12 and that he graduated from the ‘School of Hard Knocks’. After finishing high school, Al was drafted into military service during World War II. Al was a businessman of varied interests. He had successful ventures in grocery store management, the airline business, and international telecommunications. For years, he lived in Guam, Japan, and Hawaii. Early in his career, Al was initiated into the Shriners, which he proudly served for decades. Throughout his career, Al was always involved in local politics. Al’s interest in politics led him to run for, and be elected to the Lake County Board of Supervisors, where he served with distinction. In the early 1990’s, Al’s love of horses led him to the Sea Horse Ranch in Half Moon Bay, which he ran for more than 15 years. Al is survived by his wife of more than 37 years, Yoshiko N. Shipley; his daughter Robin and son-in-law Richard, daughter Trenise, son Kevin, his daughter, Liza; his siblings Wayne and Melva; and his grandchildren Daren, Brian, Courtney, Andrew, Kelsey, and Eri. Also dear to Al were Fumiko, Wanda, Allison, Kaile, Evan, Caden, and Willa, all of whom he always regarded as family. Al is predeceased by his son Terry and sister Johnnie. Al's final resting place will be near his son Terry at Skylawn Cemetery.
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