Published in the January 18, 2021 edition.
SPRINGFIELD — On Wednesday, January 13, 2021 the world lost Alan Tapper, lately of Loomis Lakeside of Springfield, MA. He was the son of William and Freda Tapper, brother of Jerome, Mortimer, Fred and Rosalyn, and beloved father to Judith, Richard and Rob. Alan was also a loving and generous grandfather to Lucas, Eric, Levi and Micah and devoted husband to Marilyn.
Alan was born on November 27, 1934 in Revere, MA and attended Revere High School. On March 10, 1957, Alan married the love of his life, Marilyn Lee Dubrofksy, beginning an enduring partnership of over 60 years. The marriage was built on the foundation of love, commitment and their unsparing dedication to their family and the Wakefield, Massachusetts, community.
As a young adult, Alan was a member of the Army National Guard and began a busy and varied professional career in sales. He loved work that allowed him to speak with clients and travel throughout New England including for Dunn and Bradstreet of Boston, John Hancock, Liberty Mutual and finally for himself in the pen business.
He adored fishing with his mother-in-law, Mae, in Maine, relished his many attempts at defeating the Sunday Boston Globe crossword puzzle and devoured a steady stream of books throughout the years. Alan was also an active member and dedicated leader at Temple Emmanuel in Wakefield. As part of his duties, he was annually counted on to organize the seating chart for the Jewish High Holidays; the cardboard model of which was a fixture in the Tapper household each fall.
But what gave him the greatest pleasure in life were the accomplishments of his three children. He supported them unconditionally and afforded them every opportunity possible. Although times were often financially challenging, he and Marilyn committed to provide anything their children needed, no matter what the cost. He was a fixture at every concert and game for all his children. He took great pride in taking his daughter to the University of Pennsylvania, volunteering for Marching Band competitions, listening to his son play at Tanglewood and visiting Camp Encore to observe his other son direct young musicians. He was immensely proud of his daughter becoming a doctor, his son Richard graduating from Yale University and his son Rob attending the Eastman School of Music.
Alan cherished the kindness of his son-in-law Irwin, and the generosity of his daughter-in-law Helen as well as the successes of his grandchildren. He had an immense heart and infectious laugh as he was a considerate, loving and caring man. Marilyn would often say, “Alan was everybody’s friend.” He will be missed.
There was a virtual Shiva on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 7 p.m.