Albert Joseph Hajek

Albert Joseph Hajek died on Oct. 31, 2012, at Salmon Brook Center in Glastonbury.

He was born in East Hartford on Sept. 6, 1928, to Charles and Frances (Stasek) Hajek. He graduated from East Hartford High School in 1945 and began working at Hartford Electric Light Co. (later Northeast Utilities) from which he retired in 1991 after 44 years of service. His early years were in electric operations, then human resources and wage and salary administration, and following several roles in earlier corporate mergers, was Helco's representative in developing the policies and organization of the resulting gas and electric holding company known as Northeast Utilities. At the time of his retirement, Al was vice president of corporate performance services and organizational control, predominately an internal management consulting group involved in conducting management audits (nonmonetary) of all departments and functions to certify to utility regulators that NU was well managed. During his business career he was a member of the New England Utility Group, the Electric Council of New England, the Conference Board, and the American Compensation Association, a speaker at the American Management Association, and a past president of the Association of Internal Management Consultants, an international organization of management consultants serving major corporations. Following retirement in 1991, Al joined SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), where he served as a counselor of small business, as well as acting as secretary-treasurer to the Hartford SCORE Chapter for several years. Al graduated from Morse College in 1947, the year he began work at the Hartford Electric Light Co. Al received a Bachelor of Science with honors in business management from the University of Hartford, Class of 1960, was a past president of the Alumni Association, was a regent of University of Hartford; and last served on the Board of Visitors of the university's College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture. He received a Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Association for his continued efforts for the University of Hartford. Al served in the Connecticut State Guard, the 43rd Division of the Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve ending service as a master sergeant. He was president of the Exchange Club of East Hartford for several years and a life trustee of the Boys and Girls Club of Hartford. He was also a member of ARENU, the organization of Northeast Utilities retirees. As a lifetime member of Burnside United Methodist Church in East Hartford, now the New Covenant United Methodist Church, he served on most committees of the church as well as district and conference committees.

Al and his wife, Nancy, split their time between their homes in East Hartford and Lake Sunapee, N.H., with a substantial dose of worldwide travel. Their home since 1968 at Granliden-on-Sunapee was a favorite spot for entertaining guests, boating, and playing golf and tennis. He participated in various activities in the local community, including active support for the Lake Sunapee United Methodist Church, the Fells, Sunapee Riverway, and Lake Sunapee Protective Association.

In addition to his wife, Nancy Crawford Hajek, whom he married at the Burnside Methodist Church on Sept. 10, 1955, he leaves his brother, Walter, and his wife, Nancy, of Palm Desert, Calif.; a nephew, Richard Hajek of Palm Springs, Calif.; a nephew, Peter Hajek, and his wife, Glenna, of Dallas, Texas, and sons, Eric and Eric's wife, Caitlin, and Andrew, and his wife, Ginny; and a niece, Sue-Anne Norrick, and her husband, Brad, of Chicago, Ill., and daughters, Christie of St. Louis, Mo., and her fiancé, Zoki Tasic, and Elizabeth of Austin, Texas; as well as several cousins in the USA and the Czech Republic.

His funeral service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. at New Covenant United Methodist Church, 16 Church St., East Hartford, followed by the burial at Silver Lane Cemetery in East Hartford.

There are no visiting hours.

Memorial donations may be made to the New Covenant United Methodist Church Building Fund in Al's memory.

We wish to thank the staff of Salmon Brook Center for their loving care and compassion as well as Dr. Stuart Herlands and Dr. Todd Alekshun for their care during this transitional period.

Newkirk & Whitney Funeral Home, 318 Burnside Ave., East Hartford, has been entrusted with his arrangements.

For more information and to view Al's everlasting memorial please visit

www.newkirkandwhitney.com