Obituary: Tubbs, Alan
He was always proud that people displayed the American Flag on his Birthday, and was even more proud to have served with the U.S. Army after graduating from Albany College of Pharmacy.
Fate brought him to the University of Washington in Seattle to work on his Master’s degree in conducting, which is where he met and married his wife, Julie.
They moved to Spokane where he was the band director and brass instructor at Whitworth College.
Within a short period of time he became the Principal trumpet for the Spokane Symphony.
He also worked part-time as a pharmacist and became a father to daughters Eloise, and Molly.
More education and the east coast were calling to him and a move to the Berkshire Hills of NY resulted.
He began working on his PHD at Boston University and his son Jason was born.
After two more cross country moves, in 1973 the family settled in Trumansburg, NY where Alan went to work at Holton’s Pharmacy with his brother, Howard.
Music was always a driving force in his life.
He enjoyed playing in the Ithaca Concert Band, the Joe McConnell Band, and the Joe Salzano Band.
He continued to teach brass at the Community School of Music and Arts in Ithaca as well.
One of his greatest joys, next to his family, was working as the Music Director of the Ithaca Theater Group at the Strand Theater.
In 1984 Alan purchased Holton’s Pharmacy from his brother Howard and proceeded to become a fixture in the Trumansburg Community.
Alan was a Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Ulysses.
Life in Trumansburg was so nice that Alan and Julie stayed for the next forty-one years until Alan became ill and they moved to Pittsford, NY in the fall of 2014.
Alan was the son of Albert and Jessie Tubbs of Chatham, NY and was pre-deceased by his two brothers, Howard Tubbs and Albert Dewitt (Julia) Tubbs and their son Thomas, brothers-in-law Scott Leland and James Jacobson.
He leaves his loving family: wife Julie, daughter Ellie (James Craven) and children Amanda and Ryan Smith, daughter Molly (Gene) Bailey and children Kelsey Goebel and Norah and Jocelyn Bailey, son Jason Tubbs, sisters-in-law Millicent Tubbs and Marcie Jacobson and Jerri Goffe, brother-in-law Ross Leland, nephew Donald Tubbs and his family, nieces Nancy Tubbs, Susan Crawford and her family, Gabrielle Moracco and her family, Cathy Morris, and Ashley Leland, cousin Lillian (Clint) Seefeldt, and several great-nieces and nephews.
There will be no calling hours, but a celebration of Alan’s life will be announced at a later date.
Donations in his memory may be made to Hospicare, 172 East King Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 or the First Presbyterian Church of Ulysses, PO Box 597, Trumansburg, NY 14886.
The family has entrusted arrangements to the Ness-Sibley Funeral Home, 23 South Street, Trumansburg.
1-888-534-5446. www.ness-sibley.com