Alan A. Whitfield

1931 - 2019

Alan Arthur Whitfield, 87, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado passed away peacefully on February 9, 2019. Alan was born on May 20,1931 and was the second child of Nathan and Florence Whitfield of Montclair, New Jersey. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dianne, his children Gary (Kathy), Mark (Roberta) and Kathleen, and his grandchildren Kendall (Josh), Janelle, Owen, Annalee, Blake and Ellena. Alan graduated from the University of Michigan in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. During his senior year, he married his childhood sweetheart Dianne Claire Morgan of Verona, New Jersey on June 19, 1954. Following graduation, the young couple moved to Dayton, Ohio where Alan served as a First Lieutenant Developmental Engineer at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Upon leaving the Air Force in 1959, Alan and Dianne moved to Glastonbury, Connecticut. Alan started his professional career as a Project Engineer at Kaman Aerospace in Bloomfield, Connecticut in 1960. Insisting people call him "Al", he quickly rose to Division Manager and soon thereafter was tapped to lead a startup Kaman company called Kamatics Corporation. Al's business acumen and engaging leadership style led him to being named Kamatics President in 1966 and over the next 33 years, led the company through significant growth. Al's vision for success continued as he seamlessly transitioned the company to new leadership in 1999 – retiring to Boulder, Colorado to spend more time with his family.While Al achieved abundant professional success, he was most proud of the wonderful family he built in partnership with his loving wife Dianne. Al's family was the center of his universe and his unwavering devotion to them gave his life its greatest purpose. As a mentor to his young children, he instilled strong moral values and created many fond memories. He loved bringing everyone together, and fun-filled family vacations were a cornerstone of his life. Al was also an active member in his local Glastonbury community, serving on the Little League Board of Directors and as Exchange Club President. While Al was a winning coach for several local youth sports teams, imparting the ideals of teamwork and sportsmanship to his young players was far more important to him. Al was very much a man of integrity and humility. He believed actions spoke louder than words and principles meant more than possessions. In his later years, he often remarked that he had "lived a truly great life." For those who knew him, and especially for those who loved him, Al's words rang true - as he helped so many of us live greater lives, too. Al's family will be holding a private ceremony in the coming weeks celebrating the remarkable life he led.