Alexander Rieman Holliday Walling March 18, 1943 – February 13, 2019 Share this obituary Sign Guestbook| View Guest Book Entries Alexander Rieman Holliday Walling was born on March 18th, 1943 in Washington DC to Lewis Metcalfe Walling and Frances Holliday Slossen Walling. He grew up in Bedford, NY, but soon moved to many places as his father’s work for the State Department and various organizations took them to different countries. He drove with diplomatic immunity at 11 years old in Colombia, living in Bogota.
He learned new cultures and missed fresh vegetables in West Africa, (to which he always attributed his short stature), living in Accra, Ghana, and Conakry, Guinea. He lived in Fiesole outside of Florence with beloved cousins for a season. He ended up with baby tigers as pets in Cambodia, living there until the onset of the Khmer Rouge.
As a result he spoke French, Spanish and Italian, and always had wild stories to tell. He attended Philips Andover Academy, making life long friends and procrastinating at memorizing poetry, as well as growing several inches of thick neck due to wrestling. He did his degree in Philosophy at Columbia University, followed by a Masters at Hunter College in Urban Planning.
His first job was with the City of New York, working with affordable housing, and he continued to be involved in real estate for the rest of his life, as well as social justice. He was passionate about the environment, volunteering with the Working Harbor Committee and River Keepers, and was the first to install solar panels on the roof of his brownstone in NYC. That home, 110 West 81st, was very much a part of his adult life.
He loved sailing, and owned a boat out of Stonington CT, on which many friends and family made memories. He was passionate about family, and always tried to bring people together. He was not afraid of conflict, and fought hard to broker peace wherever he went, spending hours encouraging forgiveness and reconciliation.
He suffered many griefs in his life, losing his only brother to the beginnings of the Vietnam War, and his mother to a flash flood in 1971. Although Alec was well traveled and adventurous, stability arrived in the form of Emily, whom he shared with former spouse Jean Baur. Watching Emily grow up, share his love of travel and foreign languages, and later give him three beloved grandchildren was a great joy in his life.
He leaves behind a devoted daughter, Emily Solway, her husband, Joseph Solway and three grandchildren, Molly, William and Lucy. He is also survived by his step-sister Judith Parker, and her children Anne Rogers and Rachel Aponik. Many cousins and nieces are as close to him as siblings and children, called him “Uncle Alec” and share warm and loving memories of his generosity and largess.
He will be missed. The family will receive friends from 12:00-4:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm on Thursday February 14th and Friday February 15th at the family home located at 73 LAkeshore Drive in Oakland. A funeral service will be held on Saturday February 16th at 11:00am at the C.C. Van Emburgh Funeral Home 306 East Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood. Cremation will be private. In lieu of flowers gifts may be directed to Amnesty International or Greenpeace in his honor.
www. amnesty.org/en/ www.
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