Glen Bruce Ofield

On November 14, 2014, Glen B. Ofield, 92 years of age, of Visalia was taken from his earthy family and is now in heaven residing with our lord and his beloved wife and loved ones. Glen was born December 31, 1921 in Grand Island, Nebraska to Paul and Marie Ofield. Glen and his parents came to California when he was 3 years old. His family resided in long Beach where Glen grew up as a child and had many exciting adventures during his youth and "The Great Depression." Glen witnessed an abundance of history during his lifetime. As a boy, he and his buddies would climb on the back of a bus and ride throughout various parts of the city. The bus driver would stop the bus and run after them but the boys were too fast to be caught. Before refrigerators, the ice was delivered in blocks by means of a horse driven wagon. The iceman would allow Glen to take the reins to the horse and he'd tell the horse to "giddy-up" to the next delivery on the street. Glen was a witness to the big earthquake in long Beach in 1933. He was having dinner at a family friend's home when the earthquake hit, and the baked ham went flying off of the serving platter. His father picked Glen up and carried him to safety. Glen observed people stuck in the crevices of the cracked pavement and his school was destroyed from the devastation. Glen attended long Beach schools and loved running and was on the high jump team at Woodrow Wilson High School. He won many events and won a letter on the team. Glen served in the Civilian Conservation Corps designed for kids whose families had low incomes. Of the twenty-one dollars a month he made, fifteen was sent home to his parents. After the C.C.C.'s, his father fell ill with tuberculosis and was placed in a sanitarium to recuperate for nine months. Glen sacrificed his education and dropped out of school in the eleventh grade to get a job at North American Aviation to support his mother. He later attended classes and fulfilled the requirements to obtain a high school diploma. During WW II, Glen joined the Army Air Corps because we were at war and he enjoyed working on planes. He served our country from 1941-1946 and graduated from B-17 Mechanics School, Roswell Army Base and was an integral part of the Bombsight Research and Repair Facility at Roswell, N.M. Its mission was to repair and improve bombsights for accuracy and durability. Cpl. afield ended his wartime efforts and expertise with Air/Sea Rescue in Biloxi, Mississippi and then the war ended. After the war, Glen worked a short time for Richfield Oil Co. in Signal Hill, CA. when he met the love of his life, Mary Lou Shuford. They were married July 20, 1947 until the death of Mary Lou in 2010. The couple had one daughter, Sally, who loved her parents with all of her heart. Glen's father worked for Long Beach Oil Development and passed away in 1950. Glen was offered a position out in the field and accepted. His Air Corps skills really paid off as later on he was in charge of twenty-five men. He worked for Long Beach Oil Development for 33 years and retired as a Mechanical Foreman. Glen also had joined the Air Force Reserves and was honorably discharged October 1958 as a Staff Sergeant. Glen and Mary Lou retired in Visalia to be with family. Glen enjoyed wood working and has built some beautiful pieces of furniture. He also enjoyed tinkering on his car and inventing things to make life easier. Glen, Mary Lou, and their Springer Spaniel looked forward to a month long camping trip each year to Tugman State Park in Oregon. They also enjoyed watching The Lakers play basketball. Glen was incredibly smart and inventive. He possessed a wonderfully funny sense of humor and could really make a person feel better if they felt badly. This world will not be quite the same without this incredible man. Glen was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Mary Lou, by his granddaughter Shannon Marie Alsobrook, his mother Marie afield, and father Paul afield. He is survived by his loving and devoted daughter Sally Alsobrook, son-in-law Bill Alsobrook, grandson Scott Alsobrook, and his wife Katie and three beautiful great-grandchildren, Luke, Veronica, and Caleb Alsobrook.

Glen Bruce Ofield

December 31, 1921 - November 14, 2014