Alan Levesque's Biography
One might say that Alan Levesque’s Ski Patrol career began, in part, due to circumstances beyond his control. As a youngster, Alan had spent his winters with his older brother, Gil, skiing the trails of central and northern New England. However, this way of life was about to change dramatically. During the 1963/64 winter season, Mount Southington Ski Area first opened to the public. Gil began to spend time there and, Alan, being too young to drive, naturally went along. The ski area management asked Gil to help organize a formal ski patrol and was soon appointed its first official Patrol Leader. Alan, at age thirteen, was made a member of the patrol and became its youngest Junior Patrolman. He could not have known that he would spend the next half century as a member of that very patrol. He began to learn his craft from his brother and many other pioneer Patrolmen. There was not even an affiliation with the NSP for the entire first season. Everything was accomplished by personal ingenuity, inventiveness, and adaptation. The “keep it simple” philosophy was utilized out of sheer necessity. Alan methodically practiced his skills until he left to attend college in Michigan. He would be gone for the better part of four years.
Upon his return, Alan plunged right back into patrol life, never missing a beat. If there was a course, he took it, if there was a seminar or clinic, Alan was there. He soaked up knowledge like a sponge. Alan seemed to have two main desires. His first was to pass whatever skills and knowledge he acquired on to others. To that end, Alan became an instructor in First Aid (later WEC, and then OEC), CPR, toboggan handling, and a Senior S&T Examiner. He has always retained his “keep it simple” approach. His teaching style was, and still is, very practical and pragmatic. Alan is equally at ease whether teaching a formal class or coaching one-on-one. The Patrollers, at all levels, that have benefited from his expertise is innumerable.
Alan’s second desire was to improve patrolling in general. If there was an open position in which Alan thought his involvement would be beneficial, he would ask to be considered for that position. Alan has since successfully administrated many positions on the Mount Southington Patrol, from Assistant Advisorships, up to and including Assistant Patrol Leader. He has also held a number of Connecticut Region positions including various Advisorships, Section Chief, Assistant Region Director, and (Grand Pubhar) Region Director. His organized mindset consistently brings unprecedented order and organization to whatever project that he is charged with.
Alan’s numerous awards throughout his (at this writing) almost half a century
of patrolling, including National Appointment #7054, are a testament to
his dedication to the NSP and especially to his patrolling comrades. Only
in the last few years, when his job demanded a great deal more of his time
and attention, was he forced to cut back on some of his extra NSP participation.
Even so, he will not abandon an obligation until he is confident that another
qualified Patroller has been put in place to carry on. There are very few
tenured Patrollers within the Connecticut Region who do not know or have
in some manner been positively influenced by Alan. He is truly one of our
Ski Patrol icons.