I was stunned to learn of the passing of Alón Sagee on June 9, 2024 after a long illness. Alón was a Copper contributor, president of the San Francisco Audiophile Society, and someone who had grown to be a friend.
While I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, I had the pleasure of working with him quite a bit when he was writing for Copper, beginning around five years ago. He was a wonderful person, kind and understanding, a gentle soul who was a pleasure to trade ideas with. His writing was clear, elegant and passionate. Editing him was mostly looking over his work and nodding in approval, maybe checking the spelling of an exotic locale every once in a while. He’d love to bounce ideas off me, and I loved his perspectives on music, audio, travel, and other subjects.
Alón served as president and “chief troublemaker” (as he liked to irreverently call himself) of the San Francisco Audiophile Society (SFAS) from 2015 to 2019, when he retired. Under the direction of Alón and Leslie Lundin, the SFAS grew in size, had monthly meetings, created a website and initiated educational and other activities. In 2023, the organization changed its name to the Audiophile Foundation to reflect its growing influence nationwide. In June 2021, Alón received the San Francisco Audiophile Society’s first Founder’s Award, which happened during a surprise ceremony during a Zoom meeting.
Alón receiving the first San Francisco Audiophile Society Founder's Award, June 2021.
Alón’s passion for music and travel, along with his admiration for the musicians and his sense of humor, was reflected in his writing. In Issue 101’s “Sublime Moments,” he wrote:
“If you’ve ever had the surreal experience of opening your eyes at the end of a musical piece you were completely immersed in, and for a second, being surprised by where you actually were…you know the feeling of a sublime moment.
Audiophiles are ‘enthusiasts,’ which is one of my favorite words. It comes from the Greek ‘en theos,’ which translates to ‘possessed by God’ – which aligns well with these emotional moments of grace. Maybe a slight tweak for us would be En Theos Audius, Possessed by the Gods of audio…which we most certainly are.”
Alón traveled to many exotic places, and his descriptions of the countries and the people made me feel like I was there with him. Here’s an excerpt from his “Five Weeks in Mongolia” series (beginning in Issue 123):
“As a wild land, Mongolia shows its bounty of nature untouched. A dark blur on the bumpy terrain ahead caught my attention – maybe a marmot? no, too big – it was standing almost a yard tall; perhaps a species of feral dog? Since it stood in our path, Bagi actually slowed down. Holding us fast in its majestic gaze, it didn’t move as we approached, obviously unimpressed by the purring mass of steel in which we were ensconced. We stopped, three feet and an open window between its fierce beauty and my unprotected pate, the astonishingly large golden eagle locked defiantly onto my eyes, its power over me mesmerizing. As I fumbled for my camera, this regal native released its gaze and took wing, disappearing into its blue domain.”
He will be deeply missed. As a tribute to Alón, here’s a list of his Copper articles, along with links. We publish this as a tribute to him and as a resource to share with everyone who would like to enjoy his writing.
Alón's official obituary is at the end of the article.
Alón Sagee’s Copper Articles:
Sublime Moments – Issue 101
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/sublime-moments?_pos=1&_sid=017100b33&_ss=r
Two Hands Clapping – Issue 120
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/two-hands-clapping?_pos=2&_sid=017100b33&_ss=r
Five Weeks In Mongolia, Part One – Issue 123
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/five-weeks-in-mongolia-part-one?_pos=99&_sid=7517c49c1&_ss=r
Five Weeks In Mongolia, Part Two – Issue 125
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/five-weeks-in-mongolia-part-two?_pos=2&_sid=ed98a150b&_ss=r
Getting High – Issue 132
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/getting-high
Getting High, Part Two – Issue 133
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/getting-high-part-two?_pos=23&_sid=017100b33&_ss=r
Getting High, Part Three – Issue 134
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/getting-high-part-three?_pos=87&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
The Not-So-Great Wall – Issue 138
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/the-not-so-great-wall?_pos=13&_sid=017100b33&_ss=r
Platinum Award – Issue 140 (article about Alón winning the award)
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/platinum-award?_pos=4&_sid=017100b33&_ss=r
Chinese Food for Thought – Issue 140
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/chinese-food-for-thought?_pos=90&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
The Audiophile’s Cat – Issue 153
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/the-audiophile-s-cat?_pos=39&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
The Audiophile’s Brain (Or, Why We Do This) – Issue 157
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/the-audiophiles-brain-or-why-we-do-this?_pos=91&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
The Audiophile’s Opinion, Or Why You Should Join (Or Start) and Audiophile Club – Issue 160
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/the-audiophile-s-opinion-or-why-you-should-join-or-start-an-audiophile-club?_pos=72&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
A Pre-Entry-Level Analog MP3 Killer – Issue 162
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/a-pre-entry-level-analog-mp3-killer?_pos=76&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
Your Move (Parting Shot with Alón playing Go with a statue) – Issue 165
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/your-move?_pos=3&_sid=017100b33&_ss=r
The Colors of Music, Part One – Issue 170
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/the-colors-of-music-synesthetic-artist-melissa-mccracken-sees-and-paints-what-she-hears-part-one?_pos=26&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
The Colors of Music, Part Two – Issue 171
https://www.psaudio.com/blogs/copper/the-colors-of-music-synesthetic-artist-sees-and-paints-what-she-hears-part-two?_pos=62&_sid=a96add238&_ss=r
Alón Sagee in Xian, China, August 2002.
******
Alón Sagee: April 8, 1960 – June 9, 2024
With family, as with friends, “love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
On the morning of June 9, surrounded by loved ones, Alón's soul passed peacefully on to its next existence. For, above all else, first and foremost, Alón loved the people in his life: his family, his friends near and far, his community, and most importantly, his cherished wife, Anya. Alon embraced the world and life's adventures, but at the end of the day, his relationships were what mattered to him and always had.
Alón was born in Be'er-Sheva, Israel, and spent much of his early childhood in both the US and Israel. These early international experiences fostered in Alón a lifelong passion for people, knowledge, travel, and music.
With his open heart, Alón was guided by the pursuit of spreading peace and love all his adult life in order to understand and appreciate all people and the world around them. Alón was fortunate to find a kindred spirit in Anya Hankison. They met, married, and were blessed to share the next 20 years together.
Anya and Alón.
An avid soccer player, Alón played in over 32 countries. The game was a conduit for international travel and an entrée to meeting many fascinating people. All his life, Alón also enjoyed "brain games," particularly chess and crossword puzzles; the more challenging, the better.
Alón was a gifted writer. He composed many articles about his adventures. Some are picturesque descriptions of natural beauty, others are adventures of challenging mountain treks, including scaling the heights of Kala Patthar, and still more are reflections on the unique yet shared cultures of the world and the people he met. One highlight was spending an afternoon with Sir Edmund Hilary in Nepal.
Kala Patthar.
Alón possessed many gifts that naturally drew people to him: he was a quiet leader, a fascinating storyteller, an inspiring team builder, and a calming presence in any situation. Coupled with his inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge, these made Alón both a student and a teacher…a true humanist.
Alón humanism took many forms. He was a yogi who combined his commitment to yoga with his corporate experiences to become a noted Yoga business coach, who was said to have had the "most effective way of interpreting the principles of a business to the unconventional world of yoga."
Alón was also an audiophile; not just a lover of music but also one who was dedicated to the highest quality of sound recordings. He described his passion in a memoir, "Learning to Listen." With his eyes closed, listening to the perfect recording, he was transported, "Everything disappears except the performers and music…moments of pure grace."Alón would laugh when telling others that Anya described this as his "audio porn."
In 2015, Alón helped establish the not-for-profit San Francisco Audiophile Society (SFAS). He remained its president until 2019 and received the Society's Founder's Award in 2021. Alón also wrote extensively for Copper. (To read any of Alón's articles on the site, just click on the links above or go to PSAudio.com, then the Copper Magazine tab.)
Alón accomplished much, touched many lives, and transformed what could have been a life of debilitating illness due to Parkinson's into one of spiritual beauty and brotherly love. His favorite quote by Anais Nin is an inspiration to all: "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
Alón described himself as an "enthusiast." He will be greatly missed, but his family and friends take heart knowing that he is now truly, and forevermore, an enthusiast.
Header image: Alón and Hobbes the cat.
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