Oct. 3, 1932 –

Feb. 1, 2012

Alvin Richard Aho, 79, of Moose Lake, Minn., died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, in Augustana Care Center in Moose Lake.

Alvin was born on Oct. 3, 1932, in Cromwell, Minn., the only child of Albert and Mary (Sippola) Aho. He graduated from Cromwell High School in 1951. After graduation he attended Dunwoody in Minneapolis and then in 1953 he joined the Army. He spent 23 months at Fort Riley in Kansas. After completing his service in the army, Alvin worked in Cloquet, Minn., for Hallbak. Then he entered Duluth Business University under the VA program.

Alvin married Kathy Pettit on Aug. 23, 1958. Alvin and Kathy both started working for H&R Block Income Tax in Duluth, Minn. In 1965 they moved south with Alvin as a district manager for H&R Block. They spent one and a half years in Anniston, Ala., and Gadsden, Ala. before moving to Jacksonville, Fla., where he was district manager for 30 years.

Alvin taught an income tax course at Jacksonville Junior College for two years and later at Tallahassee Community College.  He purchased four H&R Block franchises, one in Chattahoochee, Fla., and three in Georgia, (Thomasville, Bainbridge and Donalsonville), which he ran for 10 years. Due to health problems, he sold all the franchises, but they continued to live in Georgia and spend summers in Minnesota until his health grounded them in cold Minnesota for the last three years.

Alvin was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy; son, Richard (Cindy) Aho of Esko, Minn.; daughter, Cheryl (Jim) Wassel of Bainbridge.; six grandchildren, Elizabeth, Hannah and Abigail Aho, Melissa (Allan) Ellis, Ashley and Shaun Gaskins; and first great-granchild, Bryce Ellis.

A memorial service was held Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012 in Atkins-Northland Funeral Home Chapel, 801 14th Street, Cloquet, Minn., with a flag presentation by the Cloquet Combined Honor Guard. Burial will be in the spring at Eagle Lake Cemetery.

Atkins Northland Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.