Honoring the Lives and Legacies of Alan Griffith and Alice Claar

Last week, our ALS United Greater New York family experienced a profound loss with the passing of two of our founding board members, Alan Griffith and Alice Claar. They were two extraordinary leaders whose dedication, compassion, and vision helped shape our organization from its earliest days.

Alan Griffith, retired Vice Chairman of the Bank of New York and a former Chairman of our Board of Directors, has been a guiding force in the fight against ALS for nearly five decades. His commitment began in the 1970s as a board member of the New York-based ALS Foundation. His steady presence continued through the pivotal 1985 merger that formed The ALS Association, where he served on the national Board of Trustees.

His leadership and generosity were instrumental in forming the foundation for what would become ALS United Greater New York. To this day, our work reflects his dedication to serving people and families living with ALS in our community.

Alice Claar, who joined our Board in 1995, brought a deeply personal commitment to our cause, honoring the memory of her brother Sheldon, who died of ALS in 1987 at just 53 years old. Over the past 30 years, Alice served on our Board’s Patient Services Committee and fought tenaciously for supporting families, improving care, and creating a future without ALS. 

We are deeply grateful to both Alan and Alice for their invaluable efforts to build ALS United Greater New York.  Their legacies of compassion and service will continue to guide and inspire us as we fulfill our mission. We extend our heartfelt condolences to their families.