Dr. Alan R. Balboni

Dr. Alan Balboni was a man of reason whose life was defined by his unwavering values and personal connections.

Born in Boston in 1944, the son of Henry Balboni and Dorothea Balboni (nee Scanga), Alan drew deeply from his Italian American and Irish American roots, grounding his life in values of intellectual honesty and a firm rejection of prejudice. He earned his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1972 and devoted more than thirty years to the college classroom, teaching political science and immigration history at Boston State College and later at the College of Southern Nevada, where he also served as dean of the political science department. By focusing on the struggles of Italian American, Irish American, and Jewish American immigrants, he urged his students to add value to society through critical thought and compassion.

Alan is survived by his wife of 51 years, Donna Balboni; sister Donna Sullivan, niece Lisa Sheehy, and nephew Brian Sullivan; daughters Deborah Balboni and Denise McKay; grandchildren; and beloved extended family members Ken McKay and Misty Perry. A loyal, generous, and warmhearted friend to many colleagues in both Massachusetts and Nevada, Alan nurtured several cherished friendships from childhood and had many valued relationships of recent vintage. He also enjoyed close relationships with his cousins in Massachusetts and i cugini in Italy, visiting them multiple times over the years.

In both his scholarship and his personal life, Alan embodied the values he taught — reason, compassion, and an abiding belief in human dignity — while reserving his greatest devotion for his loving family.

A private, family-only Celebration of Life will be held in his honor.