Alan V. Hager, 77, died at his home in Porter Ranch of Alzheimer's disease on December 29, 2020. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Kathleen Hager, who cared for him throughout his illness; his daughter Anne and her partner Jeffery Campbell; and his son Christopher, daughter-in-law Alison, and granddaughters Josephine and Silvia.
A lifelong Californian, Alan was born and raised in Glendale, where he attended Glendale High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1965; undertook post-graduate studies in history at UC Berkeley; and graduated from USC Law School in 1969. His legal career spanned four decades, all with the California Department of Justice. As a Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Alan represented state agencies including the Coastal Commission, the State Lands Commission, and what was then called the Division of Oil and Gas. He became one of the state's most trusted legal experts in the regulation of oil and gas and was admired by his colleagues as a thoughtful, kind, and ethical public servant, as well as a brilliant legal writer. He mentored many young attorneys on the practice of law and the importance of seeking justice rather than winning for the sake of winning. After retiring from the Attorney General's Office, he served on the Board of Directors of the California Golden Bear Credit Union, and he was an active participant in the SAGE Society at Cal State Northridge until Alzheimer's-related dementia forced him to withdraw.
From his mother, who hailed from a large family on the Canadian prairie, Alan inherited cousins now spread from British Columbia to Ontario. From his father, who took young Alan on trips to the High Sierra, he inherited a love of travel and the outdoors. Together with Kathie, he planned numerous vacations when Chris and Anne were young, and the four traversed much of North America visiting national parks and Canadian cousins. He adored the California landscape and took every opportunity to drive a scenic route during a short family trip or when he and Kathie marked wedding anniversaries with getaways along the central coast. Alan marked his 70th birthday by hiking in Yosemite with his son, and he spent his 75th in Connecticut visiting his granddaughters, who delighted him. He was an avid reader, especially about US history, and he eagerly took book recommendations from his children; their educations were among the paramount causes of his life, and he enthusiastically encouraged and took great pride in their scholarly and artistic endeavors. Though isolated during the final months of his life by the Covid-19 pandemic and the progress of his illness, he had Kathie always by his side.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Alan's memory to the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org) or the Sierra Club (https://www.sierraclub.org). A virtual memorial service is planned for Saturday, January 23, at 1:00 pm PST. Please email memorial@hagerfamily.net for information on how to access the online service.
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