Alfred A. Sarquiz

SARQUIZ, Alfred A.
of Kalamazoo, MI

Died Wednesday November 13, 2019. Al was born June 23, 1933 in Brooklyn, NY to Alfred A. Sarquiz and Maria Concetta (Muro) Sarquiz, the third of four children, with two older sisters and one younger brother. Following high school in Brooklyn, Al volunteered to be drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953. He served two years in the Military Police at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas where he met the love of his life, Patricia Ann (Dyke) Sarquiz who was also serving her country in the U.S. Women's Army Corp at Brooke Army Hospital, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. After about six months of courtship, Pat was suddenly transferred to Letterman Army Hospital at the Presidio Army Base in San Francisco, Ca. in March 1955. In July of that year Al hitched a ride to San Francisco and they were married there. Upon their discharge from the service they decided to settle in Kalamazoo and raised their five children here. Al was accepted as a police officer with the Kalamazoo Police Department in February 1956 and rose through the ranks to Detective Lieutenant/Asst Division Commander of the Criminal Division. In 1964 he was accepted as a student at Keeler Polygraph Institute in Chicago, IL. He graduated near the top of his class and became a widely recognized polygraph expert statewide. He was a charter member of the Michigan State Polygraph Examiners Association and was elected as its second president in 1966. In 1973 he was nominated and accepted to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Va. He successfully completed the police administration course, again near the top of his class of three hundred students. Late in 1973 he transferred employment to the Kalamazoo Sheriff's Department to start up a new polygraph service at that department. In 1977 he was promoted to the rank of Captain in command of the Traffic and Patrol Division. 1979 saw him transferred to the Service Division with responsibility for Budgeting, Training, Purchasing and Records. He also was assigned to lead the field effort in developing the 911 system for Kalamazoo County that successfully went into effect in 1984. During this time Al did undergraduate work at Nazareth College. Al was a life member of The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #98. He was a longtime volunteer at Citizens Credit Union serving on the Credit Committee, Supervisory Committee and on the Board of Directors. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors when the credit union merged with Lake Michigan Credit Union. He was an avid Brooklyn Dodger fan. He loved to fish and golf, particularly with his three sons, and he loved playing golf with friends he grew up with in the police community. His greatest joy was in large, or small family gatherings. Al was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters Elaine Chiaramonte and Claire Elfstrom, brother Raymond, and grandchild Jason March. He is survived by his devoted and loving, wife Patricia, and five children, Michael (Nanette) Sarquiz, Nancy (Stephen) March, Joanne (Roderick) Morford, Andrew (Anne) Sarquiz, Gary (Cindy) Sarquiz, eight grandchildren, James (Amber) Sarquiz, Kyle March, Anthony Morford, Elizabeth Morford, Kelly (Jamie) Hallman, Chad (Taylor) Sarquiz and Grey Sarquiz, one great granddaughter Breanna Morford, one great grandson Dawson Hallman and many nieces and nephews in the Kalamazoo and New York City/Hazlett New Jersey areas. Services will be held 11 o'clock Monday, November 18, 2019 at the Langeland Family Funeral Homes Burial & Cremation Services, 3926 S 9th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Visitation will be 3-5pm Sunday at the chapel. Private burial will take place at a later date. Memorials may be directed to St. Andrew Community Church and/or The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #98. Please visit Al's personalized webpage for directions, online guestbook, or to leave a condolence. https://www.langelands.com.