Business Leader, Philanthropist, Family Man
Passed away unexpectedly at his family home in Kensington, NH. He leaves behind a close family, successful businesses, and a legacy of giving back to help change people’s lives and save the earth we share.
Alan was born in Boston, grew up under the Simco sign in Dorchester, and would move 14 times by the time he was 7 years old. Alan credits his turbulent childhood and tough father with instilling in him a fighting spirit, the guts to take risks, and the skills of an entrepreneur. Starting at the age of five, his mother would put him on a Greyhound bus in downtown Boston, and he would get dropped off in front of his grandmother Ruth Sawyer’s house in Kensington. She gave him love, a welcoming, and a safe space to stay for the summers.
He dedicated his life to building a special place in Kensington, known as Alnoba, and supporting the local community. What started as a simple family retreat is now a 600-acre refuge for people to come, reflect and get inspired. It was very spiritual for Alan to walk upon the same ground as his ancestors, and he would spend hours day and night walking through the woods, getting energy and peace from the forests and fields. It has always been his North Star.
At Newton South high school, he met his true love, Harriet Rothblatt. Last month the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary surrounded by their family. In Harriet, he found his soulmate, life partner and travel companion. Theirs was an uncommon union based on a shared worldview, mutual respect, and a readiness for adventure at the drop of a dime.
Alan was very clear that his family was his top priority. He was most proud of his two children, Edward and Charlotte and the great leaders, partners, and parents they became. He always made time to go to their games, planned special trips with each of them and throughout his life, wrote them letters of wisdom. When COVID hit, he turned over the reins of Kensington Investment Company (KIC) to his children, so he could focus on the travel business. He delighted in watching them grow into their leadership and loved coaching them through one of the most difficult times in the company’s history.
When his first granddaughter, Kinsley, arrived, Alan was over the moon. He always appreciated the cycle of life and was so proud to welcome his next generation and know that his life’s work would go on.
Alan dared to dream and live big. After selling his interest in Transnational Travel in 1985, he purchased the fledgling Grand Circle Travel, which at the time was losing $2M a year. He quickly applied his signature business strategy: stop what isn’t working and go like hell at what is. Alan believed if you wanted to go long in business, you put your people first and measure your success in excellence over profit. Today, Grand Circle and his real estate enterprise, KIC, are highly respected in their industries.
Alan loved to travel and never lost his sense of wanderlust. Whether trekking in Tibet or driving the backroads of the American South, travel deepened his appreciation of the wisdom of the Indigenous peoples. He felt they understood community and connecting to the land at a whole different level. Alan continually sought to learn from their teachings, supported Indigenous rights around the world, and honored their ways in how he cared for his land and community.
In 1981, Alan and Harriet formed the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation. Since then, they have donated more than $250M to more than 500 projects in 50 countries. Alan built and gifted to the town of Kensington, a 35-acre town park with lit ballfields and plenty of places for families to play. In 2013, he opened Eastman’s as a gathering place for the community, where folks can get fresh local food and enjoy good company.
Alan’s passion for travel was equaled by his passion to develop leaders. He believed you could lead from anywhere. As a leader, he was at his best in times of crisis, believing the greater the difficulty, the greater the opportunity. He would face the worst the world could throw at him head on, always coming out stronger from the fight.
He devoted himself to developing leaders within his company and the nonprofit organizations the Lewis family supports. He exemplified tough love, pushing many out of their comfort zones, always challenging them to tackle the tough stuff first and make decisions.
Alan believed you will always be rewarded for moral courage, maybe not in the moment, but at some point in your life. Alan is now rewarded for a lifetime of courage.
He leaves behind his wife, Harriet R. Lewis; son, Edward and his wife, Caroline Lewis; his daughter, Charlotte Lewis and her husband, Michael Aylward; and grandchildren, Kinsley, Isabelle and Roselee.
He also leaves a legion of daring leaders whom he taught to go out and change the world.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alan E. Lewis Fund at Grand Circle Foundation, 347 Congress St., Boston, MA 02110 to support special projects to protect land and Indigenous Peoples.
Visiting Hours: The family will sit Shiva from Monday, November 7th through Friday, November 11th from 4PM - 6PM at Alnoba, 24 Cottage Road, Kensington, NH.