Hartford's Alan Greenberg dies

I had one last year. It's no big deal, a little funky. And it's worth everybody with a few years under their belt doing.

 

Hey folks, this is really nice. Jeff Jacobs on Alan

http://www.courant.com/sports/columnists/hc-jeffcol0309.artmar09,0,3958934.column?coll=hc-utility-sports

 

Wow.
What a tribute.

 

A remarkable piece.

 

That was a hell of a column. I was gone from the Hartford scene by the time Jeff became a columnist and Alan moved to the Pats beat but I was there in the mid- to late '80s and he describes perfectly the Alan Greenberg I knew. Some of of us considered him a little full of himself when he first arrived from LA (jealous of the most gifted guy in the room, perhaps) but he eventually won us over. He lived relentlessly. I admired him.

 

FWIW, the funeral this morning in the Boston suburb of Sudbury was tremendous. Hundreds of friends and family packed a small temple, including tons of media folks from throughout New England as well as plenty of other reporters from around the country, to share memories of Alan. Really beautiful stuff.

 

thanks. i'd love to hear more details if anyone has them.

 

A few thumbnails notes--if anyone has anything else, feel free to chime in with details...

First of all, any man who can draw that sort of turnout for his funeral--one on a weekday on the middle of the day--led the kind of life that should be envied. They needed satellite parking lots, transporting people from the parking lot at a nearby church, to make sure everyone could fit. His wife spoke--and when she finished, there wasn't a single person in the house who wasn't crying. In addition, a friend from the L.A. Times also spoke, on a number of things, including Alan's love of polo shirts and music. And his brother-in-law spoke on his love of family. Service went for about an hour. A memorable day for a memorable man.

 

First off, I agree with CapeCodder (as I generally do), that the number of people who packed into the temple was a testament to Alan and his way of touching just about everyone he came across. He was the only member of the Pats press corps that could cross into every clique (and there are several) in the room, and nearly every member of that corps was present Friday.

I don't know that there's such a thing as a "perfect" funeral, but I imagine Alan's had to be pretty close. When you get to laugh genuine belly laughs but also shed some tears thinking of the man that has been lost, that's wonderful to me.

His wife, Ann-Marie was amazing; she said one thing Alan told her that she uses almost every day is to "never argue with an idiot." Definitely words to live by.

But one story his friend Mike Littwin told, to me, speaks volumes about Alan: Littwin said that when Alan was offered the position at the Courant, he went back and forth for days, debating whether he should leave the L.A. Times for Hartford. And Littwin said he talked about it with everyone, as he would do with is kids once they were born. Alan, of course, took the gig in Hartford, and on his last day in L.A., he and Littwin went to his favorite deli in the city.

When Alan goes to the counter to order, the guy working there says, "So, Alan, you taking that job in Hartford?"

I wish I had known him better...

 

he went way before any of us could foresee, but the remembrances of alan are all any of us could dream of in the end. i only wish i am remembered as fondly. :'( :'( :'(

 

Here's the speech Alan intended to deliver Saturday at the bar mitzvah of his son, Alex. It is reprinted with permission of his wife, Anne-Marie Greenberg.

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarygreenberg0311.artmar11,0,2461869.story

 

That speech made me realize how lucky I was to spend time with my children today.
Never take a moment for granted.
Never.