RAPID CITY- Al Michael, born Allan John Michael passed away on May 19th, 2015 in his 93rd year in Rapid City. Born in Pipestone, Minnesota on February 23, 1923 to Dalbert and Elsa Michael, Al was the third of three children. Al grew up in Pipestone, Minnesota and graduated from Pipestone High School. In 1945 he married Jo Van Bockel. Although he and Jo lived in Pipestone until 1960, later career moves for this entrepreneur took him to Huron, SD for a short period and finally to Rapid City in 1962 where he had resided for nearly 53 years until his death. Al began his working life as a driver for his father's freight hauling business at the age of 12. From there he moved on to long-haul trucking of farm produce and livestock. In the mid-1950s he began working as an insurance adjuster for a Sioux Falls insurer and for 2 years did that in Huron, South Dakota. In Huron he partnered with a friend and founded a small credit agency, North Central Credit, and moved his family to Rapid City where he and Jo lived until their deaths. Along the way, Al became an accredited stock broker and for many years represented Ogden Financial Group in Rapid City. He finally retired from that to his most loved pastime of poker player in 2001. From that time until about 2013, Al was a winning regular at the Silverado in Deadwood. In the last several years he also enjoyed regularly playing pitch with friends at Kelly's Sports Bar in Rapid City. For many years prior to his death, Al was a breakfast regular at the West side McDonald's meeting and eating every weekday morning with many of his Rapid City friends. He loved especially taking his grandchildren with him for breakfast to show them off. Finally, he was, from early in life until about the age of 82, an expert pheasant hunter. During all his hunting years he hunted with Jo's brothers Frank, John and Pete and later introduced his children and grandchildren to a sport he loved. Al and Jo raised 4 children and helped them through high school and college. Al was most proud of his family and for him (and for anyone who would sit still for a story) all of his kids became "CEOs" at whatever they did. His pride and his joy, however, were his 10 grandchildren. For them he would do and did do anything and everything. He loved them and they adored him. The outings to which he took them in his beloved Black Hills were innumerable and included almost all of the Black Hills attractions, large and small. Al also very much enjoyed regaling his grandchildren (and his family and friends) with his remembrances of his childhood and family. The stories had a life of their own and seemed to all of us to grow bigger than life with the years. Al is survived by 4 children - Rodney (Ellen), Rapid City; Vicki (Allen Nord), Rapid City; Douglas (Linda), Louisville, KY; and Daniel (Judi), Rapid City; 10 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; and 3 brothers-in-law - John Van Bockel, Dallas, TX; Bernard Van Bockel, Rapid City; and Peter Van Bockel, Rapid City. He was preceded in death by his wife Jo of 69-years, his parents and 2 sisters (Daphine and Ordeth). Visitation will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 1630 Rushmore Street in Rapid City on May 26th, from 9 AM to 10 AM. A memorial service will follow at 10 AM at Bethlehem Lutheran. A luncheon will be held from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM for friends & family at Bethlehem Lutheran. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in his name may be made to the Cornerstone Rescue Mission, Rapid City, SD. In Loving Memory.