Stories about Alan
If you have a story that you would like to share, please send it to us via our "contact" page and it will be added below.
From:
Kathleen and Jerry Eder
As parents of Rowmarker Jason Eder, we knew Jason was in a good place when he went to live with Alan as a junior at Rowland Hall at 16 years old. I am sure Alan made Jason keep his room neat and tidy and I remember calling Alan before Jason left for his first ski trip and said he might need help packing since he hadn’t done that on his own.
Alan made sure Jason kept up with his academics and he had a successful two years in school and skiing. The impact Alan had on so many young lives was an immeasurable gift. We were sorry to hear of his passing and will always be grateful for having Alan in our lives.
From:
Dick Stoner
I was sorry to hear of Alan's death. I was a coach for the Park City Ski Team and technical delegate for the USSA and worked with Alan in the mid 70's to 1990. We spent many hours in the cold out on the side of a ski race course, making dry, acerbic comments to keep ourselves entertained.
He really improved the quality of the race/timing features, which were very basic early on. He gave his time and expertise when it was so badly needed. Amateur racing could not happen without volunteers and Alan was a class act in this regard. The world needs more people like Alan Hayes, not less. Rest in peace.
From:
Kevin Kelleher
I got to know Alan while my daughter, Keely, attended Rowmark and Roland Hall St Marks school. He was always helpful to our family and I enjoyed his professional demeanor with regard to Rowmark and the ski racing community. He will be missed!
From:
Lisa Murphy
I worked with Alan at Fusion io. We had a summer intern program and one of the activities included a local baseball game and Alan asked if he could join the group. At the game I asked him if he enjoyed working with the interns. He said the interns are great but he’ll never turn down a baseball game.
From:
Ryan Parr
I met Alan in the early '80's through a mutual friend who was one of Alan's early "rent-a-kid" (as he called them) ski racers. Alan was a father figure to me and would offer counsel, constructive criticism, an excellent Bearnaise sauce, and a dry sense of humor - all things I needed at the time. He even sent me a little money occasionally when I went off to college - a selfless gift that I'll always cherish.
We took a road trip to Crater Lake after I graduated from school and I visited him a few times in SLC; we shared a passion for baseball and I enjoyed watching Mariners-Bosox games with him in Seattle. Alan was one of kind - he had a large impact on my life and he definitely will be missed. Thank you Alan.
From:
Brenda Dillard
I could always trust that Al would be the parent I needed him to be, while caring for my son Brandon Purnell. His tough love was nurturing, playful and wise. If you’ve ever experienced the pure joy of his hospitality and the grace of breaking bread with him, you indeed have been blessed. The conversation was always intriguing and what a sense of humor. I can see his smile! RIP Al
From:
Nancy and Bob Bagdasarian
Got to know Alan well through our grandson, Zach Merrill who skied on Rowmark team from grade 5 - grade 12 at Rowland Hall. Spent Christmas Eve and Day with him at our daughters’ homes for the last several years. An extrodinary person with many talents who makes the best peanut brittle! You will be greatly missed by those fortunate enough to have known you! Peace.
From:
Dave Pym
Alan was a most incredible individual and for sure one of the smartest and wisest persons I have ever known. More importantly Alan was also the most compassionate and giving person I have ever encountered.
We first met when I was asked to start down the FIS TD path, 30 years ago, and stayed in contact thereafter.
He was totally committed to the Snowbird Ski Team and as an intégral member of the Race Department Timing Team recruited by Tami Strong and working closely with Tami, Vince Romney and the entire crew.
His passion and commitment was evident day in and day out and it was clear that he loved the people he worked with.I was fortunate to actually work with him at the last race at Snowbird a few days before his passing.It may seem trite, but it is the truth that when Alan came along, they broke the mold because no one can possibly replace him.I am proud to say he was my friend.
From:
Ned Friedman
Alan was always so wonderful to me. I was first introduced to him at the beginning of my junior year, when I was officially invited to Alan's weekly brunch that he help for the older Rowmark Boys. I was so surprised that someone would go out of their way to do something this nice for us, every single week. Brunch soon became the highlight of my week. I loved being able to gather together with my teammates and friends and spend time together. And Alan always made the experience even better.
He was funny and knowledgeable, able to join in our banter while also providing wise advice. I always knew that Alan cared for us and wanted us to be happy and successful. He was very welcoming to me when I first met him, and even after I left Rowmark at the beginning of my Senior year, he made it clear that I was always welcome at Sunday brunch. Alan was a wonderful man that took joy in making others happy, and I will miss him very much.
From:
Dave Hall
What a giving, helpful, kind, supportive, modest, intelligent and fascinating man Alan was. And a Red Sox fan too...
From:
David Naegle
I worked with Alan for six years at Fusion IO. He radiated integrity and competence and sanity in a world of corporate foolishness. I'm better for having worked with him.
From:
John Pittenger
I am stunned to hear of Alan's passing. I worked along side him for over three years while at Fusion-IO; I very much enjoyed that experience. Alan, though highly decorated and esteemed, was very real and genuine to those with whom he worked.
He had the position, integrity, and candor to call out the corporate silliness whenever he saw it, for which I was grateful and was generous with sharing his knowledge. I enjoyed him as a colleague, as a cube-neighbor, and as a friend. My life is greater for having known him. God-speed my friend.
From:
Forrest Pickett
I was one of Alan's graduate students at the U and remember him for his fondest for music and bridge. I also remember him for his "enticement' for finding that I hand failed classes and then retook them and not only passed by ended up being at TA for them. His reaction to me was totally only what Alan would do. It was humorous to me at the time and I know that people who knew Alan can understand.
From:
Curt Hammond
Alan was such a key person at so many important times of our sport. Whether it be in early days of using computers for timing and calculations, FIS TD officiating, Rowmark Ski Academy development, IMD leadership, the list is endless. Our sport is much better off because of Alan Hayes.
From:
Hunter Stuercke
Alan helped me become the person I am today with both his generosity and his caring persona (especially when he chose to express that with his snarky comments at the brunch table). Alan knew early on when I was a sophomore and new to Rowmark that I had absolutely no interest in school and only wanted to ski. He gradually fostered what little interest I had in academics and helped me learn how to become a more well rounded person. Alan taught me to take what sparked my interest and go the farthest I could into it, and also taught me that sometimes we just have to do things we don't want to (English class) in order to get to where we want to be.
Looking back, I had never envisioned that I would enjoy studying and learning anything, especially not to the extent that I would pursue a doctorate. I told Alan at a Red Sox game a couple of summers ago that in a few years he and Kerywnn would have to start calling me doctor. It is only fitting that I am now pursuing that in Boston, a city that Alan spent so much of his life in and connected to. While I am sad I will miss his service because I will be on my first clinical rotation, I know I would not be here without him. Alan's voice will always be in my head whether I am treating patients, or at Fenway watching the Sox pull a walk-off.
From:
Al Davis
I was shocked to learn of Alan's death. After graduating from MIT, both Alan and I showed up at the University of Utah as Ph.D. candidates. We had the same advisory committee albeit with different advisors and spent a countless number of hours in the lab designing and debugging the gizmo of the moment. We quickly became close friends and shared a number of adventures and misadventures during and after our grad school years which involved skiing, duck hunting, road trips, etc. Many of these events involved some engineering to get whatever vehicle we were in out of the ditch that we somehow ended up getting stuck in. One extra memorable event: while rebuilding an automobile engine, I managed to catch myself on fire and Alan's quick thinking and rapid chase with a blanket saved me from spending an extended period of time in the burn unit.
He also put out the car fire before it spread to my parent's house. I benefitted from Alan's culinary skills and he even played chef for my wedding's rehearsal dinner. Even in 1973 he was the best chef I knew. I hired Alan to work in my group at the University of Utah and frankly I think he was a better mentor to my students than I was. His dedication to both his profession and his unwavering ethical behavior salted with a wry sense of humor made him a perfect role model. I have no idea how many times he called me an idiot but I do know that in every instance he was right. I undoubtedly benefited from his mentoring talents as well. He was a great person who indelibly touched the lives of the people who were fortunate enough to share time with him. He will be missed.