Alan Guard

DELMAR- Alan H. Guard, 88, died Friday, July 13, 2012 at Albany Medical Center Hospital after a brief illness. He was born in Geneva, NY, second son of Louis H. and Olive Shannon Guard, and moved to Delmar in 1962. Mr. Guard was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and in 1944 was commissioned an Ensign in the Navy from the first NROTC class at Notre Dame. He served on destroyer escorts in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific theatres, and retired from the Naval Reserve in 1959 as a Lieutenant. He held a real estate broker's license since 1947. He worked as a real estate appraiser for the NYS Board of Equalization and Assessment from 1959 to 1962, when he joined the NYS Office of General Services as Chief, Bureau of Leases. He retired from that position in 1983 and worked with Robert Cohn Associates for several years. He was a former member of the University Club, the Delmar Camera Club, and the Watervliet Fish & Game Club. He was also a member of the Bethlehem Sportsmans' Club, where for several years he coached juniors in the sport of trapshooting. He was active in Scouting for many years and attained the rank of Eagle Scout as a boy. The Hamagrael Pre-School called upon him for several years to be their Santa Claus. He became a tour guide on the USS SLATER in 1998, and told his captive audience, "Take a good look at me, I'm living history". He held a lifelong fondness for music, particularly jazz, and played a mean piano (It was "mean" to everyone who heard him play, but he enjoyed it anyway). Survivors include his wife, Betty (Furr), four daughters, Catharine Olsen of Leesburg, FL, Deborah Guard of Niskayuna, Susan Boynton of Delmar, Mary Devenpeck of Colonie and a son, Peter Guard of Sammamish, WA. There are eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and four half-brothers. His brother, Howard, predeceased him in 1967. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday July 18, 2011 at 9:30am in the Chapel at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 35 Adams Place, Delmar, NY. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider donations to the charity of one's choice, the American Cancer Society, 260 Osborn Road, Loudonville, NY 12210 or the Lance Armstrong Foundation, 2201 E Sixth St. Austin, TX 78702.