Alan Briere

1953 - 2012

ACWORTH - Alan Briere, 58, of Acworth, died after a brief illness at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Monday night, February 27, 2012, surrounded by his loving family.

Alan was born December 6, 1953, in Northampton, Mass. to Anne (Finn) (deceased) and Richard E. Briere of Stoddard. He was raised with three brothers, Rich, Gary and Dana, and one sister Lynda. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Woosnam Briere of Acworth; his father Richard E. Briere and wife Carole; brothers Richard of Greenfield, Mass., Gary and wife Maureen of Sunderland, Mass., Lynda San Souci and husband Michael, Dana and wife Cheryl of Granby, Conn.; niece Molly; nephews Adam and Josh and extended family in New England and Pennsylvania.

Alan was educated in Northampton public schools, but was introduced to his lifelong education and passion in the public parks and forests of the Connecticut Valley, Mt. Tom State Reservation, the Holyoke Range State Park and the Quabbin Reservation. Regular hikes with his father and siblings set Alan on a path that ultimately carried him around the world learning, teaching, photographing and writing about nature, culture, history and our human connection to the outdoors.

Early in his career, Alan embraced the camera as a tool to capture and share his discoveries. His first major shoe, titled "A Closer Look", demonstrated for his audiences that an amazing natural world was readily accessible to those who slowed their pace and focused their attention. As his technical and artistic skills grew, so did his assignments. Soon he was traveling across the nation to photograph national parks, wildlife, civil war battlefields, zoos, and architecture. Alan's images illustrate the books, Hallowed Ground: Battlefields of the Civil War, Great American Hotels: Luxury Palaces and Elegant Resorts; Historic Inns of the Northeast, Historic Inns of the South and Great American Zoos. His work was also used to bring life to magazine articles, textbooks, calendars, advertising campaigns and with the dawn of the Internet age- websites.

Alan's assignments took him to Africa's Masai Mara River Preserve where he led photographic expeditions. While his lens caught the cheetahs, lions and wildebeest, his eve became fixed on Cheryl, a fellow traveler. The two fell in love and returned to America together. Alan and Cheryl married in their first home in New Boston, with their two Bouviers, Katie and Wally.

In 2003, they moved to Acworth. They shared their home and property with their three beloved Brittany's, Gypsy, Penny and Millie, plus an endless parade of moose, deer, bears and other New Hampshire wildlife to photograph. True to his passion, Alan's home marked the edge of human and wildlife habitat – the last house on the left at the end of a winding dirt road, surrounded by 900 acres of woodlands - a fitting sanctuary for them.

Throughout his career, Alan was an active participant in his community and his professional organizations. He volunteered his time to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, hiking mountains and woodlands to photograph places to preserve. He served on the New Boston Forestry Committee as an active proponent for preserving town woodlands. He volunteered for the New Hampshire fish & Game Department offering photo presentations on wildlife and nature at the annual 'Discover NH Wild' days in Concord. He loved teaching children to respect the natural world. He also volunteered his time for the 'Becoming and Outdoors Woman' program. He taught the photography class with Cheryl as his assistant. He was a patient and eloquent instructor, trying to give each student special time. He instructed for over 10 years.

Alan was an active member of the American Society of Media Photographers, serving several years on the board and as President in 1996-1997. He was also an active member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, along with web forums including Modern Sportsman and the Upland Journal. He shared his love of photography and nature with these colleagues and friends.

Alan's innate sense of his place in nature may have given him insights into his place in the world as well. Alan was blessed with a gift from God to see and express his thoughts through his photography and writing. His artistic legacy will continue to be viewed and published long after his too-short life. We, his family, will keep him close in our hearts forever.

True to Alan's spirit and his love of his home and the outdoors, his family has planned a celebration of his Life and loves at this home in Acworth, for Saturday May 5th. Online condolences can be shared at CaringBridge.org. Remembrances can be made to the Caring Bridge Organization, American Brittany Rescue, or the Digit Fund.

Arrangements are with the Stringer Funeral Home & Crematorium, 146 Broad Street, Claremont. To view an online memorial, send a private message of condolence or for more information visit, www.stringerfh.com.