Hal was my nemesis in high school -- he stuffed a dead seagull in my nylon beach jacket at Half Moon Bay one day -- but about ten years after graduation, we met up again by chance at The Perfect Recipe in the Stanford Shopping Center. After sitting at the table with Hal and the inimitable Bob Canete, I realized that Hal had a lot of character and moreover, he WAS a character with a sardonic sense of humor. After that, I met up with Hal and Bob almost every day and we became fast friends. I can recall many times when Hal and I drove up to the Mission District to get a burrito at one of the shops where English wasn't spoken. Hal appreciated authenticity and he had a sense of justice you just don't find nowadays. He had more than his share of romantic ups and downs, but eventually he married a wonderful woman, had two children, and became a commercial real estate broker in Pacific Grove. This was a relief to all who knew him because things looked grim until he met Nancy. I moved to southern California later, but visited whenever I drove up north. Hal knew how to live and how to enjoy life. He had been a smoker in high school, and unfortunately it caught up with him, even though he quit. I visited him during his final illness and stayed for the memorial service at Asilomar. Hal may have been my nemesis in high school, but he became one of the best friends I ever had. I feel grateful and privileged to have known him.
David Alzofon Alzofon '67 said:
Hal was my nemesis in high school -- he stuffed a dead seagull in my nylon beach jacket at Half Moon Bay one day -- but about ten years after graduation, we met up again by chance at The Perfect Recipe in the Stanford Shopping Center. After sitting at the table with Hal and the inimitable Bob Canete, I realized that Hal had a lot of character and moreover, he WAS a character with a sardonic sense of humor. After that, I met up with Hal and Bob almost every day and we became fast friends. I can recall many times when Hal and I drove up to the Mission District to get a burrito at one of the shops where English wasn't spoken. Hal appreciated authenticity and he had a sense of justice you just don't find nowadays. He had more than his share of romantic ups and downs, but eventually he married a wonderful woman, had two children, and became a commercial real estate broker in Pacific Grove. This was a relief to all who knew him because things looked grim until he met Nancy. I moved to southern California later, but visited whenever I drove up north. Hal knew how to live and how to enjoy life. He had been a smoker in high school, and unfortunately it caught up with him, even though he quit. I visited him during his final illness and stayed for the memorial service at Asilomar. Hal may have been my nemesis in high school, but he became one of the best friends I ever had. I feel grateful and privileged to have known him.
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