Alan Eugene Wells

Alan lived 97 remarkable years — years marked by independence, resilience, humor, and a determination to keep moving forward no matter what.

To his mother, he was simply “Alan.” To his first wife, he was “AE.” His grandchildren knew him as “Gramps.” His nieces and nephews affectionately called him Uncle “Awful.” To friends and family, he was Al. Each name reflected a different facet of a man who meant many things to many people.

Born in Oklahoma on April 27, 1928, and adopted two months later by Claude and Laura Wells, Al’s independent spirit showed itself early. As a boy, he once left school at lunchtime, went home, and decided to boil eggs. He promptly fell asleep, only to be awakened by loud explosions — and a kitchen covered from end to end in egg. Rather than return to school, he spent the afternoon cleaning up the mess before his mother and sister returned home. It was an early glimpse of a trait that would define him: if something needed fixing, you fixed it.

Al loved country music and loved to dance even more. During World War II, his mother rented rooms to several Navy wives. Young Al convinced them to teach him how to two-step. They took turns dancing with him to Bob Wills records, and they taught him well. He grew into a smooth, confident dancer — a skill that brought him joy throughout his life.

He enlisted in the military in 1948, beginning a long and honorable career that took him to Eniwetok, Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Puerto Rico, and numerous stateside assignments. He earned multiple commendations, including the Bronze Star, and retired in 1974 as a Chief Warrant Officer 4. Service, duty, and perseverance were not just words to Al — they were guiding principles. After retiring from the military, he continued serving his country through the Defense Investigative Service in Lawton, Oklahoma, and White Sands, New Mexico, retiring again in 1990.

Retirement did not mean slowing down. Al filled his days with golf, travel, gardening, puzzles, crosswords, reading, and fixing anything that needed improvement. True to his lifelong independence, in 2022 — decades after last riding a bicycle — he began riding a three-wheeler one to two miles a day around his neighborhood. His motto said it all: “Never stop moving.”

Al was preceded in death by his first wife, Opal, with whom he shared 36 years of marriage, and his second wife, Lydia, with whom he shared 29 years. He is survived by his children, Sheryl Wells and Laura Suman; stepchildren, Diane Wall and Steve Power; grandchildren, Taylor, Rachel, and Devin; great-grandson, Nolan; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends whose lives were better for having known him.

Al’s ashes will be laid to rest at Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. In honor of his lifelong service, the family asks that memorial donations be made in his name to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.