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April 17, 2015

Alan El Faye, Tabor Communications Inc. President, Passes Away

John Russell

The Tabor Communications family lost a dear member and the world lost a true gentleman yesterday when Alan El Faye, our President, passed away having fought cancer vigorously and with the unyieldingly positive attitude only someone like Alan brings to such a struggle. All of Tabor Communications extends deep condolences to Alan’s family and to his wife Jone, their children Kimberly and Sean, and their “adopted” son Matt Altman.

I share this news with personal sadness. Alan and I were friends and occasional colleagues for more than a decade. He was a consummate professional and I learned a whole lot about how to treat people and how to invent solutions to thorny problems from him. I also learned the editorial department need not be at war with the business side. Indeed we needed each other.

The latter was prototypical Alan; he won you over not so much with salesmanship, which he had in full measure, but with a commitment to identifying and fulfilling mutual needs. He sought solutions relentlessly, and when they didn’t suddenly appear, he invented one. Usually cheerfully.

“First and foremost, Alan was my friend,” said Tom Tabor, CEO, Tabor Communications, “He was the type of man you knew would be standing alongside you, in your corner, regardless the challenge. Trust and integrity were two words inseparable from this man, add in his genius and wit and you only begin to fathom how so very special he was.”

Alan’s IT publishing career spanned over 25 years. His extensive digital and print publishing background includes past responsibilities as a president, publisher, domestic and global sales VP, marketing director, and custom projects director for media companies such as Cambridge Healthtech Institute, International Data Group (IDG), Reed Business Information, Advanstar, McGraw-Hill and Lebhar-Friedman, and, of course, Tabor Communications. His content emphasis has largely been around performance based computing in sectors such as healthcare, telecom, retailing, industrial and food service. Alan held a Bachelor Degree from Kent State University, and a Master’s Degree in Behavioral Science from California State University.

What I remember most are his generous friendship, indefatigable energy and inventiveness, and uncontrived integrity. He will be missed.

Services will be held at the end of the month in Manhattan Beach, CA, where Alan resided, and in Canton, OH, where he was born. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Below is the link to a web portal for donations. It is a private web page set-up in Alan’s honor and will stay live until May 2017.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/InHonorOfAlan/KeeptheMemoryAlive

The postal address and phone are listed below:

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

1500 Rosecrans Avenue, #200

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

877-272-6226

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