Alan Maxwell Ades died on January 17, 2016. He was 90 years old. He leaves his loving wife, of 57 years, Joan, two daughters, Jane Ades and Susan Ades and her husband, Stephen Lawlor and five grandchildren, Benjamin, Raphi, Kirya, Olivia and Isabelle.

He graduated Townsend Harris High School in three years and joined the army at 17 where he became part of the Corps of Engineers. He rose to the position of staff sergeant soon afterwards. After the war, he attended and graduated from CCNY. He founded and was president of Auburn Label and Tag, Co. He loved classical music from the time he was a teenager, when he first worked concessions at Carnegie Hall and extended and embraced that passion by serving on the Board of Directors of The Metropolitan Opera. Additionally, he served on the Board of Trustees of The Manhattan School of Music and of Central Synagogue in New York, where he was also confirmed. While at MSM, he and Joan founded the Ades Vocal Competition and built The Joan Taub Ades and Alan M. Ades Performance Space, as well. He was an avid sailor and skier.

Published in The New York Times on Jan. 18, 2016.