A celebration with slideshow, stories and snacks

Celebration of Life

Troy Soares

Dr. Alfred Soares

Tracy Zenor

Robin Soares

Dr. Alfred Soares, Jr., DVM, Grass Valley veterinarian for 48 yrs, and beloved Dad and role model, went to be with Jesus October 11, 2022, at the age of 89, while surrounded by family.
1933 Al was born in San Jose to Portuguese parents, Alfred and Rose Soares.  He worked the ranch in the hills of Milpitas tending and roping cattle.  He and his horse became good at rodeo calf-roping. He liked baseball and practiced hitting rocks with 2x4's.  When he finally got a ball, he wore it out and re-stitched it often.  He was a sprinter, even in cowboy boots, and did well when he had time to run track.
1952 Al Soares, Sr. died.  Al was at UC Davis becoming a veterinarian and would drive home each weekend to help his mom.  At the same time,  he was also trucking fruit from Newcastle to San Jose to pay for classes.  He did get to finally play college baseball where he hit a triple off a star UC Berkeley pitcher.
1960 he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and started his practice in Walnut Creek. He got called to San Francisco one time to save the life of Ellie, the circus elephant.
1966 he married Susan.
1969 they took their new-born son and moved to a beautiful ranch in Grass Valley. It was a peaceful setting with a pond, shadowed by Wolf Mountain and perched above Wolf Creek.  He started the Wolf Creek Veterinary Clinic there.  He loved animals and had a special way of calming his patients. With his vet truck he was on-call and mobile 24/7 treating large and small animals in Nevada County and beyond.
In 1973 they had a daughter, and the family was complete.  Al took up golf and eventually got a hole-in-one and won the men's championship at the Alta Sierra Country Club.  He was recognized easily on the links with his white cowboy hat and was affectionately greeted as "Doc Soares" the local vet.  His favorite athletes to watch were golf's Tiger Woods and the 49er's Joe Montana.
1981 Al had become well known as the kindhearted, soft-spoken vet, but to us he was the incredible role model who enjoyed hard work and teaching us new things.  With the clinic next door he was often nearby and involved us in helping the animals.  He'd take us on vet calls or teach us gardening, and play catch or fly a kite, and then create a huge beautiful fruit salad for the family to enjoy at dinner.  Sometimes he'd bring home bouquets of wildflowers after his walks and each Christmas he'd take us to find the perfect tree.
1984, while often finding homes for unwanted pets, he rescued a special dog, Tootsie, who found a home in his heart for the next 16 years.  His walks got longer with Tootsie by his side.
1998 Al moved to Alta Sierra where he was recognized every day walking up to 10 miles in his white cowboy hat. He would smile and wave to dozens who knew him fondly as "Doc Soares", their local vet.  He kept in shape and had a strong handshake.
He loved Jesus and found encouragement reading through the Bible. He credited Jesus not just for saving his life (especially when 2 trees almost fell on him), but for each-and-every day he could get up and do something good.  He liked to say, "treat others as you want to be treated."
Wildlife would surround his house.  Deer, foxes, racoons, squirrels, hummingbirds, and finches.  He saw each one as an amazing creation.
2000 brought the hardest vet call he ever had to make; putting his favorite dog to sleep.  40 yrs of practice didn’t make it easier.  He missed that dog greatly.
2017 he retired after 57 yrs and moved to Auburn to live with his son's family.  He continued his daily walks of about 2 miles and quickly made new friends.  On those walks he got to enjoy God's creation - the little animals and the people he was always happy to meet.
2022 kidney problems left him unable to walk and the absence of his daily walk was noticed quickly by the neighborhood.  He still exercised in the wheelchair until his final days.  He will be remembered forever and missed greatly.
He is survived by his sister, Martha Wise (Altaville), his son, Troy Soares (Auburn), his daughter, Tracy Zenor (Auburn), his grandchildren, Daniel, Mariah, Jessica, Anna, and Ariel and his former spouse, Susan.

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Dr. Alfred Soares Obituary | Keeper Memorials