After a lengthy illness, Alvah Osmun Rock died on August 31, 2021 at his home in Bay Shore, NY. Alvah was born on December 11, 1940 in Jersey City, NJ and was adopted by John and Catharine (McGraw) Osmun. Upon John’s death in 1950 and Catharine’s subsequent marriage to Harry S. Rock, Alvah’s family name changed to Rock. Alvah is predeceased by his parents, his brother Edward, and sister Jean, and he is survived by his sister Helen Murdock of Harwich, MA. He was raised in Madison, NJ and graduated from Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, NY. His family summered on Cape Cod, and it was at Bob Briggs’ Wee Packet Restaurant in Dennisport, MA that he met a 17-year-old local girl who would become his wife. Alvah married Susan Newcomb on Labor Day Weekend in 1962 as he began his senior year at Nichols College. He graduated in 1963, and he and Susan quickly started their family: Stephen (Melissa), of Leawood, KS; Karen of West Hartford, CT; David (Elisabeth) of Fairfield, CT; and Lesley (Simon Muska) of Enfield, CT. They have added nine grandchildren to the family. Alvah started his career in banking at The Old Stone Bank, Anchor Savings Bank, and the Union Dime Savings Bank. In 1981, he transitioned to real estate and then facilities management and services at The McGraw-Hill Companies, retiring in 2003. While working, he served as the chair of the board of directors for the McGraw-Hill Federal Credit Union and was an active board member of the Building Owners and Managers Association, earning several professional certifications as part of that organization. Alvah also earned an MBA from Adelphi University, while taking classes through the ABLE Program on the Long Island Railroad. Although he never complained about his commute to New York City (as long as the trains were on time), his family grew to understand the sacrifice he made while enduring an hour and forty-five minute, door-to-door commute, each way, every day.

Alvah strongly believed in the value of education. He supported his wife’s ongoing education through adulthood and subsequent career in higher education, and he ensured that his children and grandchildren received every educational opportunity they desired. He was an avid supporter of Trinity Pawling School, serving on the school’s Board of Trustees for nearly 20 years and receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award. He also supported Nichols College, serving as a charter member of the college’s Board of Advisors and then as a member of the school’s Board of Trustees. Additionally, he was a director emerti of the Greenwich House, an organization that provides social services to address the needs of underserved age demographics in New York City. Arrangements will be private. Contributions in Alvah’s honor can be made to the Rock Family Scholarship Fund at Nichols College in Dudley, MA.