Alan W. Hurlbut, 83

January 07, 2020

Alan W. Hurlbut, 16 days shy of his 84th birthday, passed away at Moravian Manor on January 7, 2020. He was born in Montague, Massachusetts, to the late Vernal G. and Ruth E. (French) Hurlbut. Alan shared 56 years of marriage with his wife Judith C. (Holbrook) Hurlbut and is remembered fondly by his family as a kind, loving, generous man with an endearing sense of humor.

Alan earned a bachelor’s degree in International Finance from Dartmouth College and attended MIT for graduate work. Over a 30-year career, he was Controller at Ford Motor Company and Ford New Holland. He worked for Ford in Dearborn, MI, the tractor division in Birmingham, MI, as Assistant Controller for Ford Industrial Equipment Company in Copenhagen, Denmark, as Budget Analyst Manager in Brussels, Belgium, Senior Analyst in Birmingham, MI, and other management positions, retiring in 1992.

A member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, Alan served on the board, was Church Treasurer and was active on the Development, Investment and Trust committee. He was also a member of the Lancaster Bicycle Club, utilizing his professional skills as board member and newsletter editor, as well as serving on the planning committee for the annual Covered Bridge Metric Century fund raiser. Friends often referred to him affectionately as their favorite “curmudgeon”. Additionally, Alan enjoyed his many years serving as an income tax preparer for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

Alan and Judy were enthusiastic world travelers throughout his career and in retirement. They had the joy of taking their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren to the Galapagos Islands and to Costa Rica. An avid reader and bicyclist, Alan pedaled extensively locally and in Europe. He enjoyed alpine and cross-country skiing, passing this love on to his sons and grandchildren, and logging countless runs down the slopes together. Alan was also an enthusiastic hockey fan, coaching his sons’ youth teams, enjoying his grandsons’ games and watching NHL games. He enjoyed watching all sports and was an avid Detroit Red Wings and New England Patriots fan. Alan had a passion for wild birds, maintaining multiple bird feeders and spending many hours watching them.

A man of many interests, Alan’s greatest passion was his grandchildren. He was a devoted grandfather, and an eager participant in the annual “Nana-Grampa Camp” that he and Judy lovingly planned and enjoyed with all 6 grandchildren every summer. Nana-Grampa camp included trips to New York City, Washington DC, local Amish farms, museums and other Lancaster attractions, as well as lots of swimming in the backyard pool, bicycling to the store for the paper and some candy, picnicking on the deck, and tree-climbing in the yard.

Alan’s generous spirit continued through his final days. Seeking a way to give back to the Lancaster community that he has loved being part of for over 30 years, Alan was able to create a $150,000.00 Student Scholarship Fund at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. With great joy, this fund was finalized with his signature on December 31, 2019, just eight days before he passed.

In addition to his loving wife Judy, Alan is survived by their sons, Keith A. Hurlburt, husband of Jennifer A. (McLeod) of Macungie, PA, and Eric V. Hurlbut, husband of Tiffany (Sandefur) of Warren, OH; six grandchildren, Jessica, Justin, Nicolas and Aiden Hurlburt, and Madison and Aaron Hurlbut; as well as his sister, Nancy, wife of David Reibschlaeger of MA, sister-in-law, Donna Holbrook, wife of Terry Cavanaugh of FL, and brother-in-law, Richard Holbrook, husband of Ginny of CA. Alan was preceded in death by his brother David Hurlbut.

A memorial service will be announced at later date. Interment will be private. Please omit flowers. Memorial contributions may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, 538 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster, PA 17603 or to Moravian Manor, 300 W. Lemon St., Lititz, PA 17543.