Alan Stein

1930 - 2018

Alan Stein

November 21, 1930 - February 11, 2018

Alan Louis Stein passed away at his home on Sunday February 11, 2018, surrounded by family. Alan's interest in and dedication to the many things that he cared about, led to a life of exceptional accomplishments as an athlete, businessman, politician, educator, and philanthropist. Above all, Alan was a devoted family man, serving from a young age as a gentle but steadfast patriarch to his large extended family. Alan's loving 65-year marriage to his beautiful wife Ruth was the subject of admiration by all who knew them and his three children, Paul, Julie and Jennifer could not have been more blessed in having his loving hand on their shoulders throughout their lives.

Alan was born and raised along with his younger sister Clare in a simple household on the west side of Philadelphia, PA. His parents, Minnie and Harry, were also born and raised in the Philadelphia area. From a young age, Alan had a passion for sports. With limited resources with which to amuse themselves, Alan and his neighborhood friends developed a routine of playing basketball every day after school. Eventually, this group of boys went on to form the core of the Overbrook High School basketball squad that won the Philadelphia Public High School Championship in 1947-48. Stein was selected as the 2nd team All City and won the Aaron Bodek Award as the Outstanding Player of 1948.

It was at Columbia University that this talented student-athlete really came into his own. Alan concentrated solely on basketball and had an outstanding collegiate career, twice being All-Ivy League selection. In 1951, Stein was a key member of Columbia's undefeated team that went 22-0, ran away with the Ivy League title and ranked third in the nation. It is considered the finest basketball season ever in the Lion's long history. Stein was elected captain the following season and again the guard was one of the top players in the conference, finishing fourth in the league in scoring and being named first team All-Ivy.

Alan paid his way through college, working a number of jobs throughout the year. His most important job was working the summers at Tamarack Lodge in upstate New York. At Tamarack, Alan played basketball in the evenings as entertainment for the guests and waited tables during the day. It was at Tamarack that Alan met his beloved wife Ruth, as the resort was owned and operated by her family. The two were married immediately after Ruth graduated from college.

After graduating from Columbia, Alan earned an MBA at Harvard and then began employment in investment banking when he joined Goldman, Sachs & Co on Wall Street. During his 22-year career there he rose to a partner in charge of corporate investment banking for the West Coast.

In 1978, as the only Republican in California Governor Jerry Brown's administration, Alan was named the state's Secretary for Business, Transportation and Housing. It was here that Alan planted the seeds for one of his life's most important missions, the founding of the not-for-profit affordable housing entity, BRIDGE Housing. Since inception, BRIDGE has participated in the development of more than 17,000 units of housing, providing homes for an estimated 42,500 people. Additionally, BRIDGE was a pioneer in the provision of multiple support services to its resident population, recognizing that shelter alone does not enable people to effectively advance their lives. Understanding the importance of continuing education, Alan, together with his wife Ruth established the Alan and Ruth Stein Educational Assistance Program. Since its inception in 2001, over 300 individual scholarships have been awarded by this outstanding platform. Alan served as the Chairman of the BRIDGE board for 25 years and continued up through his death as Chairman Emeritus, never waning in his interest in assisting BRIDGE to maintain its worthy course. BRIDGE has won dozens of awards including five ULI (Urban Land Institute) "Global Awards for Excellence", more than any other developer (profit or not-for-profit) in history. Of all of his many accomplishments, Alan often said that he was most proud of BRIDGE.

Two years after his departure from his government post, Alan accepted the post of associate Dean for Executive Education at Berkeley's prestigious Haas School of Business. Later, Alan was Executive Director of Investment Banking, Senior Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee at Montgomery Securities where he was a critical force in building San Francisco's fledgling Montgomery Securities into a national presence. Following his time at Montgomery, Alan was a Venture Partner of Weston Presidio and subsequently a Senior Managing Director at JMP Securities.

Alan had a rich life away from his business career, largely involving a deep commitment with the arts. Alan served as Chairman of the Board of the American Conservatory Theater and continued on through his death as Chairman Emeritus of this organization. During his tenure with ACT, Alan was met with the challenge of leading the organization through the devastating loss of the Geary Theater resulting from the Loma Prieta earthquake. Through his dedication, persistence and steady leadership, Alan led the successful capital campaign that enabled ACT to endure and thrive.

Alan was also a Director of the California College for the Arts, a post which he held up through his passing. Alan was also President and Trustee of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Alan was the recipient of numerous awards, including The Silver SPUR Award which is the most prominent award for lifetime civic achievement in San Francisco.

Alan is survived by his wife Ruth, his three children, Paul, Julie and Jennifer, his sister Clare and eight grandchildren, Sam, Jack, Aaron, David, Joe, Lily, Jessie and Laura