Alfred R. Cuerdon

New Albany, Indiana - Alfred R. Cuerdon, 97, of New Albany, IN, passed away on Monday, February 5, 2024, at Harrison Springs Health Campus in Corydon, IN where he was receiving skilled nursing care and hospice services provided by Southern Care.

Al was born on November 30, 1926, in Troy, NY, the youngest child of T. Joseph and Mary L. (née Riley) Cuerdon. In 1944, he graduated from LaSalle Institute. The day after his 18th birthday, he reported for duty and served in the 78th Infantry “Lightning” Division during World WWII and the occupation of Germany from December 1944 to August 1946.

He married his first wife, Dorothy Malone, in 1947, and began his career with the New York Telephone Company in 1948. Starting as a lineman, he worked his way up to engineer. In 1961, he was transferred to Bell Laboratories where he invented a switch making direct distance dialing possible for long distance calls.

In 1989, Al retired and moved to Florida with Dorothy. He joined the Coast Guard Auxilliary, was active in the Telephone Pioneers of America, and became a volunteer for the Red Cross and hospice. Dorothy was diagnosed with lung cancer two years after they moved to Florida and died in January 1993.

Al met Irene Neely when she placed an ad looking for a square dance partner. He wasn’t a square dancer but was willing to learn. So began a relationship that led to his second marriage on October 9, 1993, and lasted the rest of his life. In 2017, they moved to New Albany. As the years passed, his physical abilities were diminished by Parkinson’s Disease, heart disease, and macular degeneration that destroyed his central vision until he was legally blind. As Al’s world got smaller, Irene was always there to care for him.

He is survived by his wife, Irene Cuerdon (nèe Trobaugh), his children Lauren, Kathleen (Jim Kahn), Donald (Carlotta), and Elizabeth Navarro (Dennis), his grandchildren Jake and Nick Navarro, Gabe Kahn, Emily, Rory, and Luke Cuerdon, Jennifer Jackson Schad, and his great-grandson Cody Jackson. He is also survived by his step-family, Irene’s children Phillip Neely (Patricia) and Kay Jacobs (Gerald) who helped take care of him and his many medical needs in his last years.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Dorothy, his parents, and his siblings, Edward, T. Joseph, Jr., Mary T., and John.

Friends are invited to visit with the Cuerdon family on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Bowen & Parker Brothers Funeral Home, 97 Old Loudon Road, Latham. He will be laid to rest at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Troy, New York where, on Wednesday, February 14th 2024 at 11 a.m., the Rite of Committal will be celebrated and U.S. Army honors will be accorded.

Flowers would be appreciated or contributions in Al’s memory may be made to his church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help or the Michael J. Fox Foundation.