by Courtney Aquadro ’11
Williston has always taught us about how change is possible. There is no better representative of this idea than Al Lavalle. Dan Curylo, a coworker of Al’s, says that, “He changed the whole cage…changed people…changed the school…all for the better.” 
Al passed away on November 25th after a long battle with colon cancer. The day alums and students found out about his passing, Facebook was overflowing with memories of All and people thanking him for all he taught them. Al worked in The Cage for ten years before joining the physical plant. While he was in The Cage he imparted many life lessons onto hundreds of people. Following is a tribute from a few alumns who will never forget him.
Sam Goldsmith ’12 describes his initial interaction with Al. “The first time I met Al was in seventh grade, when I sat at The Cage, dumbfounded by how he would not give me my locker combination. It was because I did not say please when I asked. At that point, he taught me the most important lesson I have ever learned; to get respect you must give respect first. Instantly, without knowing Al for long, I knew he was a special man. From my first encounter early in seventh grade all the way to working with him on Grounds this past summer, he showed me how much one person can positively affect a whole community.”
No student could escape Al’s lesson. Mike Volpe ’13 says, “I’ve known Al since seventh grade, he was a hard working man and a true gentleman. No doubt one of the greatest guys I have ever had the privilege to know.”
Al never made anyone feel as though he was better than them or knew more than them. That is why he impacted the community so well.
Many hung out with Al before practice, after practice, before games, and during workout breaks. As much as Al did not want to be the center of attention, he was. Other students became close with Al by working with him during a season. Jose “Tony” Alvarez ’11 spent a season with Al while recovering from a shoulder injury. Alvarez credits Al with helping him maintain a positive attitude throughout the season. “As I recovered from shoulder surgery and saw all my friends enjoy the spring, I spent my afternoons in The Cage with Al. He taught me how to appreciate the small kindness that people offer you and spread it as much as you can as well. I will never forget that spring. But more importantly, I will never forget the man who helped me get through it. Al Lavalle was an incredible human being and I will never forget to spread the lessons he extended to me.”
Rachel Tucker ’09 also spent a season in The Cage with Al and found his advice equally as valuable. “I was blessed during my senior year to work in The Cage with Al alongside my best friend. We were the first ‘girl only’ cage workers and together we were coined ‘Team Estrogen,’ a pair that drove him crazy and frequently approached him with all of our melodramatic problems. Al was there to listen and give his candid opinion, whether it was advice that we wanted to hear or advice we needed to hear. While working at The Cage, we were able to see how Al had also influenced every student that walked into the gym by using two simple words – please and thank you – always reminding us the importance of respect. Although he wasn’t a teacher, Al taught all of us so many important life lessons, that we will carry with us throughout our lives. His kindness was contagious, so whenever you were feeling down you could always count on Al to make you smile. He had a profound impact not only on our class, but I’m sure every other class that was privileged to meet him.”
Adults and students thought of Al as a man who taught without having the official title of a teacher. Cameron Williams ’09 said that “Without Al’s life lessons at The Cage, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. He wasn’t a teacher, but he taught me more about the important things in life than anyone at Williston and I will always be thankful for that.” Al taught respect with simple anecdotes such as “please and thank you.” He always gave advice no matter what the topic was and never turned anyone away no matter how abstract their drama or problems were.
Adults on the campus noticed and were impacted by Al’s lessons as well. Mr. Conroy, the Athletic Director, describes Al by saying, “During his 10 years working in our cage, I cannot think of anyone in our community who positively impacted more students than Al. He had a wonderful gift of connecting with students while instilling in them qualities of decency, respect and integrity. First and foremost he modeled these qualities every day of his life. I never ceased to be amazed at how so many alums’ first stop when they returned to Williston was The Cage. Al had such a profound impact on so many of our students. It was my privilege to work with Al for these many years.”
Al found creative ways to teach us lessons and often gaining a laugh while doing so. Tim Murray ’10 fondly remembers and thanks Al for the lessons by saying, “Al, I’ll never forget a single lesson you taught me. Especially the time you called me out in the school assembly to make an example of the twenty six pounds of cage clothing that I had been collecting over the years. You were there for every win and loss in my Williston athletic career and there for every up and down I had in my time at Williston.”
John Channel ’09 thought of him as an influential teacher, noting that “[he] Never taught a class but more importantly he taught us all a lot about life.”
Al managed to impact everyone at Williston by demanding respect, yet returning it. He was everyone’s favorite psychologist no matter what the problem was. In 2007 The Log was dedicated to Williston. Molly Newton ’07 in the dedication said that, “Like Lucy from Peanuts (although he has yet to actually collect the 5 cents he proclaims to charge), Al is always ready to give advice on boyfriends, classes, coaches, parents, teammates, college, bad grades, the proper manner to fold socks, the location of the bags, and the locker combinations we never remembered.”
Erin Fitzgibbons ’11 describes Al as much more than a person who gave her her uniform. She remembers him by saying, “Words cannot begin to describe the impact he had on me. For some he was a reminder of the importance of the simple things in life, like remembering to say please and thank you or turning in your laundry on time. For me, he was a mentor and a role model who could always bring a smile to my face, but most of all, he was a friend.”
Alums visited him. Students pinned for a coveted spot on the counter of The Cage to interact with Al. Faculty and staff greeted him fondly. Al never got frustrated and always continued to instill respect in us all.
Alum Samantha Teece created an American Cancer Society mosaic page in honor of Al. To donate money or to leave a note about this great man, visit this link. Al’s legacy continues at Williston as his son, Justin, works The Cage. He will always live in our hearts through these and many other vibrant memories as well as through the preservation of his life lessons we were all lucky enough to learn.
