More detail on this person: Al passed away on Wednesday, March 6, in Lawton.
Burial will be at Fort Sill National Cemetery under the direction of Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral
Home.
There will be a special viewing and visitation for family and friends on Monday, March 11, 2013 from
6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Al was born on December 8, 1941 in Schenectady, New York to Alfred F. Dreves Sr. and Lela (Larkins)
Dreves. He grew up in Schenectady where he attended school, graduating from Shalmont High School
in 1959. In 1960, Al joined the United States Army and served his country in many locations
including Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Rucker, Alabama, Fort Eustis, Virginia and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He
served two tours in Vietnam from 1968-1969 and 1970-1971. He later served in the Oklahoma Army
National Guard until his retirement in 1986 with the rank of Major. While in the service he received
many awards and medals. He then worked for Associated Finance and later owned and operated TD
Allen Body Shop for three years and worked for Milo Gordon. He was an insurance adjuster and owned
and operated Auto Damage Appraisers. He also worked as USAA as an Insurance Appraiser before
retiring in 1994. He worked for a while at Howard Smith Ford as the Assistant Body Shop Manager and
then began a career in Agriculture Construction; owning and operating his own business. He married
Jody (Petersen) Autry on December 31, 1989 in Lawton. Al was a Volunteer Firefighter for Cox's Store
Volunteer Fire Department from 1989 until the present and has served as Fire Chief for the past 17
years. He was the first person in the state of Oklahoma to receive the Volunteer Firefighter of the
Year Award in 2009. He joined the Lawton Rangers in 1990 and served as President from 1999-2000. He
was a member of the VFW Post and was a member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Association. He
also attended Cache Creek Cowboy Church . Al was a loving husband, pop, grandpa, great grandpa and
brother who loved to hunt and fish. He was greatly loved and will be miss by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, Jody, of the home; his son, Christopher Dreves, of Fayetteville,
Arkansas; his brother and sister in law, Jeffrey and Marlene Dreves, of Girard, Ohio; his sister and
brother in law, Amelia and Sean Hallam, of Schenectady, New York; four grandchildren, Michael
Bolser, Stephanie Dreves and fiance', Brandon Brown, Raymond Dreves and Darrian Anderson; two
great grandchildren, K'Ola Dreves and Carson Pankratz; his brothers in law, Neil Petersen ( Lee
Preheim), Mark Petersen (Barb) and Joel Petersen; numerous nieces, nephews; his family at Cox's
Store Volunteer Fire Department and Lawton Rangers and a host of other loving friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his in laws, Frisco and Clara Jane Petersen and his brother
in law, Todd Petersen.
Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Cox's Store Volunteer Fire Department
at 14810 NE Rogers Lane, Lawton, Oklahoma 73507.
Burial information: Fort Sill National Cemetery, Fort Sill, OK
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 06/15/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association