Alan Illig

Alan Illig

Preceded in death by his son John. Alan is survived by Elizabeth, his wife of sixty-one years.

He is survived also by his sons, daughters-in law, and grandchildren: Dr. Karl Illig, a graduate of Harvard and Juliet Illig and their children, Andrew, BA, of the University of Colorado at Boulder and Melissa, BA, of NYU (the first girl born in her father's line for five generations); Lolly Otis of Lincoln, Vermont; Professor Robert Illig, Distinguished and Tenured Professor at the University of Oregon Law School and a graduate of Williams College, and Laura Illig, BA, a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, and their daughter, Emma Elizabeth, an undergraduate at Smith College. He is survived also by his brother- and sister-in-law and their families, Ann Roede and Lee McKnight, and preceded in death by his brother-in-law Wirt McKnight.

Alan graduated West High School in Rochester, his birthplace. He attended Rutgers University (Phi Beta Kappa) on total scholarship, following in the footsteps of his father, Rudolph, the first member of his family to attend college. Alan went next to Oxford University, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar, earning a second Bachelors and a Masters Degree. He then served as a First Lieutenant in Air Force Intelligence, stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, returning to the States to attend Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the Lincoln's Inn Society.

Alan was employed for forty years at the Harter, Secrest and Emery Law Firm. In 2006 he received the County Bar Association's Rodenback Award, given in recognition of his skill as a lawyer and the content of his character.

Alan was invited to join a large number of pro bono boards, in many cases serving at one time or another as President: the Visiting Nurse Service, the Rochester Area Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Lewis Street Center, the Rochester Presbyterian Home, Trustee of Third Presbyterian Church, the Chamber of Commerce, the Highlands at Pittsford, the YMCA, the Boy Scouts of America, the Al Sigl Center, the Monroe County Bar Association, the United Way of Greater Rochester, Kirkhaven, Lifespan, and the Strong Museum of Play, of which he was a Founding Trustee. He was also a twenty-three year member of the University of Rochester Medical Center board. He was also a recipient of countless one-time individual requests, to which he almost never said "no."

As to personal character, Alan was modest to the nth degree. He refused to use his middle name, Karl, or his initial, insisting on the simplicity of two names. He was interested always in speaking to others about themselves not himself. If asked where he went to school he always replied "Rutgers", never "Oxford" or "Harvard". Law school was "Massachusetts". He refused to let any one do for him what he could do for himself, carrying his own luggage, making his own repairs, stripping wallpaper and papering the interior of the family's beloved home of forty years, 44 Golfside Parkway in Brighton.

Alan was an avid reader of history, having read Modern Greats, Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Oxford. His devotion to his three sons and his wife were the very linchpins of his life, but with his wife he never recovered from John's death. Karl and Rob and their mother so grieve at his.

Alan was a lovable and superlative human being. The community is the poorer at his passing.

Alan's Memorial Service will be held at Third Church in late June or early July. His Honorary Pallbearers will be Thomas Toole, James C. Moore, Albert Utton, Russell Olson, Peter L. Faber, Martin O'Toole, Lee Armistead McKnight, Arthur H. Roede, and Dennis Richardson.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Alan's memory to the Hillside Foundation at 1183 Monroe Avenue, Rochester 14620.