Alan Lurie — POW, former D-M commander and business leader — leaves his mark

Alan Lurie, a Vietnam War prisoner of war who was commander of the 836th Air Division at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in the 1980s and later executive vice president of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association, died Tuesday, September 12. He was 84.

Lurie, a highly decorated retired Air Force brigadier general, suffered from dementia and died in his home, said daughter-in-law Angie Lurie. “All of his family spent time with him before he passed,” said Angie, who is married to Lurie’s son, Cameron.

Lurie was born March 24, 1933, in Cleveland and he attended Ohio State University where he met his future wife, Mary Todd, in an arts history course. The couple married in 1954, and Alan received a bachelor’s degree in 1955 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Air Force ROTC.

He served in two squadrons in the states before serving in the 47th Bombardment Wing, Royal Air Force Station in Sculthorpe, England, according to his Air Force biography.

In February 1966, he was deployed to Da Nang Air Base in Vietnam where he served as an F-4C aircraft commander with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. Four months later, after flying 75 combat missions, he was shot down and held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam until his release in February 1973.

As a POW in Hanoi for nearly seven years, Lurie was routinely tortured and was held the last few months at the notorious Hoa Lo prison, sarcastically nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” by the American prisoners. In a 1989 Tucson Citizen article, Lurie mentioned the beatings, solitary confinement, hunger and winters prisoners endured.

Following his release, Lurie returned to his wife and three children and worked to re-accustom himself to American life. “I don’t know that I have met anyone who was as representational as a patriot,” said daughter Kathryn Lurie. “I respected his love for this country.”

“He came back to be Dad and continued his service with the Air Force. Sometimes he would come home with military documents and hide them, and we would tell him ‘Dad, leave the military at the door. Your are just Dad,’” said Kathryn Lurie with a chuckle. “And, he would. He would help clean because he was a neat freak, and he would load the dishwasher with such precision.”

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After 32 years in the Air Force, Lurie retired in 1987, leaving McChord Air Force Base in Washington state, where he was responsible for air defense of the northwestern corridor of the United States. He eventually returned with his family to Tucson, and began a second career in 1991 as executive vice president of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association.

In a Star interview months after he began working for SAHBA, Lurie explained he was no stranger to construction because his father worked in demolition in Cleveland.

Lurie’s work with the association included building up its membership, expanding business for contractors through educational programs, building relationships with local government to help bring business to builders and he worked to provide affordable housing for home buyers, said David Godlewski, president of SAHBA.

“Alan was the consummate professional. His experience in serving our country in the Air Force prepared him to make a tremendous impact on SAHBA in advancing the organization,” Godlewski said. “He was a class act. He was someone who was very caring and a true leader.”

Lurie loved spending time with the grandkids and he loved to go fly fishing. “He tied his own flies,” recalled Angie Lurie, mentioning his yearly trips with buddies to spots in Alaska and in the White Mountains.

Kathryn Lurie remembered her dad’s love for gardening and him trimming and caring for his red, pink and yellow roses, along with the oleanders.

She also laughed recalling his screams during Ohio State football games. The retired brigadier general’s two daughters also graduated from the university. A granddaughter is a student there.

Lurie’s wife of 59 years, Mary, died four years ago. In addition to his son, Cameron Lurie, and daughter, Kimberly Lurie, both of Tucson, and daughter, Kathryn Lurie, of San Jose, California, Lurie is survived by two grandchildren.

A 5 p.m. memorial service will be held Sept. 23 at East Lawn Palms Mortuary, 5801 E. Grant Road. Lurie will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.