ALBANY — Arthur G. Molle Jr. — a loving husband and father who will be deeply missed, his family said — died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018, after a brief struggle with cancer.  He was 88.

He was born in Albany and lived in the Albany/Guilderland area for most of his life. The only son of Arthur and Henrietta Molle, he grew up along Central Avenue in Albany where his parents ran a restaurant and ice-cream parlor.

After World War II started, Mr. Molle joined the Navy at 15 years of age by altering his birth certificate.  After receiving chemical burns, he was honorably discharged and returned to Albany.

“When he married Gretta Springer, in 1950, her father warned her that the day Art stops working is the day he’ll die. This was prophetic as he died about a week and a half after being unable to finish his last projects,” his family wrote in a tribute.

Art and Gretta proceeded to build their home themselves. Mr. Molle worked first at Western Electric, and, later, with General Electric at the rocket test site in Malta. He then worked for New York Telephone Co., starting as a lineman and retiring as an engineer in 1988. While working for New York Telephone on State Street in Albany, he enjoyed volunteering for the Telephone Pioneers’ Museum.

“Art loved his family, friends, pets, and hunting,” his family wrote. “He also enjoyed reading, working in his workshops on his many projects, day trips, spending time at his camp on Lake George, and garage sales.”

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Arthur G. Molle Jr. is survived by his three loving daughters and son-in-law, Pamela and David Peterson, Kim, and Wendy; by his sister, Diane Stanco, and her husband, Joseph; by his brother-in-law, Ed Springer; by his nephew, Gary Springer; and by numerous other nieces and nephews.

His wife of 50 years, Gretta Molle, died before him.

Calling hours will be held at New Comer Cremations & Funerals at 343 New Karner Road in Albany on Monday, Jan. 8, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. with a service to immediately follow. Burial will take place at Eagle Hill Cemetery in the spring.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Community Hospice, Gift Processing Center, 310 South Manning Blvd, Albany, NY 12208.