Leaving college after a year, he got a job as a lifeguard in Miami, where he made headlines saving a swimmer’s life. His father visited soon after and was unimpressed at the heroics.
“I was rebellious and ran with some rough company,” Mr. Lewis later wrote , “and I got into trouble at every turn.”
By his own description, Alan Lewis’s youthful years in Boston were eventful and unsettled. His parents split up when he was an infant in Dorchester, and while living with his mother, he moved 14 times in seven years.
“We got into a huge argument over the direction in my life,” Mr. Lewis wrote in “Driving With No Brakes,” a 2010 memoir. “Actually, it was over its lack of direction. Was I going to be a lifeguard for the rest of my life?”
Advertisement
Heeding unsolicited paternal advice, he took a job with his father’s small travel business and soon launched his own company, the first steps toward becoming one of the most successful travel industry entrepreneurs in Boston.
Get Fast Forward A look at the news and events shaping the day, delivered a couple times a week with a side of humor and a dash of attitude. Enter Email Sign Up
Mr. Lewis, who was chairman of the Grand Circle Corp. international travel conglomerate and chairman of Kensington Investment Co., died of an apparent cardiac event at his Kensington, N.H., home Wednesday. He was 74 and divided his time between Boston and Kensington, a small town that his maternal ancestors helped to settle in the 1600s.
With his wife, Harriet, Mr. Lewis was among Greater Boston’s most prolific and wide-ranging philanthropists. The couple and their foundations have given in excess of $250 million to more than 500 projects in 50 countries, according to the Lewis family.
Over the years, Lewis family donations also have helped fund local organizations and programs such as the West End House Boys & Girls Club and The Boston Foundation’s StreetSafe Boston initiative to reduce youth violence. The couple created a community advisory group to work with organizations including Artists for Humanity and Freedom House, according to The Boston Foundation.
Advertisement
Nationally and internationally, their philanthropic contributions have helped programs at the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, a bee project run by the Maijuna indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon, and solar power initiatives in villages in India and Tanzania.
While building his first travel business, selling it, buying and building another travel company, and then launching a philanthropic life that didn’t fit established models, Mr. Lewis developed a philosophy that he was eager to share.
“Break the rules,” he said in an interview at the University of New Hampshire a couple of years ago that is posted on YouTube.
“Just keep breaking ‘em. Keep making mistakes,” he said, adding that “this world wants you in a box. The world is pushing you into a small box. Break the rules.”
Born in Boston on July 17, 1948, Alan Elliot Lewis was a son of Elizabeth Sawyer Lewis and Edward Lewis.
“My parents divorced when I was a young child, and I saw my father only on occasion,” Mr. Lewis wrote, “but each encounter left an indelible imprint.”
Along with running United Travel Service, a travel business that provided Alan’s entry-level initiation into the industry, Edward was a convicted bookmaker.
Mr. Lewis credited his father with teaching him to always help the underdog. And Mr. Lewis said his childhood — with its repeated changes of address — provided inadvertent preparation for his career in the adventure travel industry.
Advertisement
“Every new place I had a fight because I was a new kid in the block, and that helped me get ready for my life,” he said of his youth in the UNH interview. “It was great for me because I got used to change. I got used to adapting to new places.”
Childhood also brought him to the place he considered his spiritual home. When he was 5, his mother began putting him on a bus in Boston to send him to visit his maternal grandmother, Ruth Sawyer, in Kensington.
In the late 1970s, Mr. Lewis and his wife bought land in Kensington from his great uncle. They expanded their holdings to 600 acres, which are now home to what is known as Alnoba, a retreat, leadership, and wellness facility.
“He always called it a sacred spiritual place,” said Martha Prybylo, executive vice president for social mission at Alnoba. “He walked that property any time of the day and felt a special responsibility to care for his ancestors’ land.”
While at Newton South High School, Mr. Lewis met Harriet Rothblatt. They dated briefly, and became a couple in their 20s.
“I was raised in a traditional New England family with my eyes set on college,” she wrote in “Driving With No Brakes,” which they coauthored. “Alan was a street-savvy kid with big dreams and a colorful past. You can see the attraction.”
Advertisement
They married in 1972, the year before he cofounded Trans National Travel, and celebrated their 50th anniversary last month.
In the mid-1980s, they sold their interest in their travel agency, known as TNT, in order to travel more themselves and devote additional time to their two children.
Then Mr. Lewis heard that Grand Circle Travel was for sale. The company was losing $2 million a year when they bought it in 1985. The couple turned it into a business with more than $600 million in annual revenue and 35 offices around the world.
They founded Grand Circle Corp., which also includes two other travel businesses they acquired, and Kensington Investment to handle the family’s real estate and investment holdings, and its philanthropy.
Harriet chairs the Lewis Family Foundation. Their daughter, Charlotte of Marblehead, is Kensington’s chief operating officer. Their son, Edward of Park City, Utah, is Kensington’s chief executive officer.
Along with three grandchildren, Mr. Lewis also leaves a brother, Hank, with whom he has had well-publicized business disagreements that became court cases. In addition, Mr. Lewis leaves two half-siblings, Steven Rittenberg and Susan Lewis.
Burial will be private, and the family will sit shiva Monday through Friday beginning at 4 p.m. at Alnoba in Kensington.
“He made so much time to be in our lives, either physically or through phone calls or through letters or through e-mail,” Charlotte said of her father.
Advertisement
“He really was such a loving man,” she said. “He was the biggest mentor, the biggest coach, the biggest supporter: ‘I’m always in your corner and I always have your back.’ ”
Mr. Lewis, she added, “had a serious code, and that was to tell the truth and chase after your dreams,” even when that meant pushing through challenging times.
“The last thing he said to me was, ‘Be comfortable being uncomfortable,’ and that’s how I want to live my life,” Charlotte said.
Particularly in his later years, Mr. Lewis became more reflective, writing in journals and sending “beautiful letters to his associates and friends,” Charlotte said.
Though Mr. Lewis “was a serious man, he also liked to have fun,” she said, and to the end he insisted others do as well.
Before Mr. Lewis died, he had planned to accompany his son to a beach for surfing, “but he was feeling tired and decided to lie down,” Charlotte said. “His last words to Edward were, ‘Go and have fun.’ ”
Bryan Marquard can be reached at bryan.marquard@globe.com.
Alan E. Lewis, travel industry executive and philanthropist, dies at 74
1 COMMENT
LEAVE A REPLY
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Can Tom Cruise Save The Box Office Again With Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning? An Investigation
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on “Bro Is Jogging”: Resurfaced Video of Usain Bolt’s 9.84 Seconds Run, Leaves Sports World in Denial
on Braun Strowman Reportedly Set for WWE Return Abroad on Promotional Tour After 6 Months Out Injured
on Brad Keselowski Feels NASCAR Could Welcome New Manufacturer Soon Amid Martin Truex Jr’s Engine Tests
on Boise State vs. Nevada live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Big Tech companies will cover travel expenses for employees’ medical procedures, including abortion
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on Best places to travel in 2023: National Geographic unveils list of top 25 destinations for next year
on Ask Amy: Should I keep my RSVP simple and just gracefully decline or say I can’t afford the trip?
on As more abortion bans occur, many patients must travel hundreds of miles for care – or be stranded
on Air Force vs. Utah State live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
on A missile fired by Houthis strikes a US-owned vessel off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, raising tensions
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on $12M Worth Dawn Staley Sports Pricey Jordans While Witnessing Joel Embiid’s Suffering Against Knicks
on Dozens of boats cruise the Seine in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on July 26
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on Sports World Hails ‘Superwoman’ Lindsey Vonn for Her Grand Comeback Despite Career-Changing Injury
on How Does Jack Nicklaus Travel? Exploring the Private Jets Owned by the ‘Golden Bear’ Over the Years
on College basketball rankings: Kansas helps Big 12 lead conference race for most Top 100 And 1 players
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
on Lamar Jackson: NFC side tipped to be ‘overwhelming’ Super Bowl favourites if they signed Ravens QB
on ICC T20 World Cup 2022: “Love Cricket At All Levels, I’ll Watch Any Cricket, And Love Going There”
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on Following Exchange With Caitlin Clark At News Conference, Columnist Won’t Cover Indiana Fever Games
on Inside Out Mini Jawbreaker Puzzle Game from Disney Cruise Line Now Available at Walt Disney World
on Katherine Paprocka allegedly embezzled nearly $600k from school for family vacations, IVF treatment
on Johnny Knoxville Talks Jackass Stunts And How They Compare To Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible Work
on Napoli owner admits he ‘knew’ Victor Osimhen would end up at ‘Real Madrid, PSG or one English club’
on Camilla Parker Bowles Revealed the ‘Nicest Thing’ She and Prince Charles Do When They Travel Is Free
on Russian cruise and ballistic missiles kill 4 in Ukraine and Ukrainian rockets kill 2 in Russian city
on Can Tom Cruise Save The Box Office Again With Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning? An Investigation
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on College basketball rankings: Kansas helps Big 12 lead conference race for most Top 100 And 1 players
on Inside Floyd Mayweather’s Lavish Lifestyle: A Look at His Stunning Car Collection and Private Jet
on Cruise guest gets stuck on ‘claustrophobic’ water slide suspended over ocean: ‘That is super scary’
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Big Tech companies will cover travel expenses for employees’ medical procedures, including abortion
on Russian cruise and ballistic missiles kill 4 in Ukraine and Ukrainian rockets kill 2 in Russian city
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
on GameFly Sale Offering Nintendo Switch Sports at a Mind-Blowing Price, Don’t Miss the Opportunity!
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on Sports World Hails ‘Superwoman’ Lindsey Vonn for Her Grand Comeback Despite Career-Changing Injury
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on ‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’ Fan Theories Suggest Legendary Time Travel, Alternate Dimension Plot
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on Inside the Michael Jordan ‘Air’ movie, plus why NFL, others are buying into the sports film industry
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on How Does Jack Nicklaus Travel? Exploring the Private Jets Owned by the ‘Golden Bear’ Over the Years
on Hollywood Reporter: Tom Cruise negotiated with movie studios over AI before the actors strike began
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on Dozens of boats cruise the Seine in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on July 26
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer
vds satin al