Alfred (Al) James Nappo

Al was born in Chicago, Illinois and passed away peacefully in Plano, Texas two days before his 78th birthday. The previous weekend he was blessed to see and talk with his five children and two brothers, all of whom but one had come from other states to bid farewell to their beloved father and brother. Al was a devoted and loving husband to his wife Cheryl (Cheri) who was his best friend for 38 years.
Al is survived by Cheri and his five children: Meri Jo Hunter (Mark); Theresa Anderson; Julia Soto (Steve Bonney); Alfred Nappo (Stacy); and Steven Nappo (Ayaka). He is also survived by eight grandchildren: Meaghan, Brandon, Shelby, Austin, Tiana, Max, Jake and Jocelyn; and three great-grandchildren: Jadyn, Jack and Zayla. Also surviving are his brothers Carmen (Joan) and Dan (Dana) plus four nieces and numerous wonderful and caring friends. Al was preceded in death by Alma, his first wife and mother of his four oldest children; his mother, Delores Kuz; his father, Carmen Nappo; his stepfather, Steve Kuz; and his brother, David Kuz.
After serving in the Air Force as an airplane mechanic, Al settled in Southern California where he worked at Rohr Inc. in Chula Vista. Later he became part owner of a TBA business honing his sales acumen up and down cities in Southern California.
Later after his wife, Alma, passed away, Al met and married Cheryl (Cheri) Froehle, who assisted him in raising his four children. Due to a job opportunity, he moved his family to Tucson, AZ, where his fifth child was born. He managed a chain of gas stations for a while and later an auto parts store. The next move came after eleven years in Tucson when Al, Cheri, Alfred and Steven moved to Plano, TX with their dog and two cats. He was hired as a sales manager for an after-market auto store. In the following sixteen years he held more sales management positions before retiring.
Al lived a full life and greatly influenced all those he met. One of his greatest gifts from God was his beautiful tenor voice. He sang with an opera company in Europe and an amateur theatrical company in Tucson where he was Andrew in a Simon Peter production. He was a Cantor in two of his parish churches, sang in church choirs, and was a member of the Plano Civic Chorus for six years.
While in California Al became involved with Christian Businessmen's Committee which helped him in his desire to learn more about God and his faith. In Tucson he began working at the County Jail scheduling men and priests to visit the inmates. He made a request to the Bishop that he be allowed to be the first lay Chaplain there and was commissioned to do so. After moving to Plano, the family first attended St. Mark the Evangelist Church where he and Cheri volunteered to mentor engaged couples in a Parish Centered Marriage Preparation Program and were part of the choir. A few years later Cheri and Al became members of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton where he once again became involved in the parish, not only singing in the choir and an octet, but also becoming a Third Degree Knight of Columbus. Perhaps his greatest love was working with the men of the parish. He started the Men's Breakfast Group on Saturday mornings and led the group for a number of years. He also attended numerous other Bible Studies as a participant. Over the years Al has helped bring many men to Christ through his own faith and love of God.
Al Nappo will be greatly missed not just by his family but also by the many people he came in contact with over the years. He always said "I love you" are the most powerful words that can be said to one another. He said "I love you" to everyone who visited him during the two weeks he was in the hospital. The following is one of Al's favorite Bible verses: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Al's life will be celebrated on Friday, May 20, 2016 at 7:00 pm with a Prayer Service and Rosary; and again on Saturday, May 21, 2016 at 2:00 pm with a Mass of the Resurrection, followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. Both will be at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2700 W. Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano, Texas 75023.
If it is your wish, contributions may be sent in Al's honor to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church or a charity of your choice.