Alan Engle

1922 - 2020

Engle, Alan
1922 - 2020
Alan William Engle died peacefully at home in Columbus on Saturday, May 16, 2020, surrounded by his three children, Elizabeth Engle, Sarah Engle, and Lars Engle. He was 98 years old. Born in Yonkers, NY, he earned B.A., J.D., and M.A. degrees from Columbia University, interrupting his education to serve in the Army Signal Corps from 1943 to 1946, seeing action at Anzio, Italy and participating in the occupation of Japan. Alan taught English first at Marlboro College in Vermont, then at Ohio State University from 1955 until he retired from the Marion Branch in 1988. After that he wrote plays on a self-imposed work schedule, producing four a year until he turned 90, when he slowed down slightly: at his death he had completed 106. Alan was preceded in death by his former wife, Jessie Ann Engle, whom he continued to admire and care about after their divorce, and by his son-in-law Timothy Howlett. His children miss him greatly, as do his daughter-in-law Holly Laird, son-in-law Paul Dennehy, and grandchildren Saoirse Engle Dennehy, Sage Engle-Laird, and Carl Engle-Laird, and his surviving friends. Donations in his memory may be made to WOSU.