Albert Dawber Ehrenfried

ACTON, Mass. – In loving memory of Al Ehrenfried of Acton, Mass., formerly of Concord, Mass., and Lewiston, died peacefully on Nov. 2, 2021, at age 99. Al lead a full and robust life filling every day on this earth with the search for knowledge, and with love and empathy for others.Student. Inventor. Scientist. Musician. Entrepreneur. Artist. Mentor. Husband. Father. Friend.Al was born June 26, 1922 in Lewiston, to Mildred and Jacob Ehrenfried. He graduated from Lewiston High School in 1939. His childhood was filled with rambunctious curiosity and adventure. To help his family thru the Great Depression, Al started his own business selling candy and magazines to students at Bates College near his home. He built and sailed wooden boats, and also constructed a working submarine with one of his high school classmates. Al earned his Boy Scout Eagle Scout rank in 1938. He took up music as a piano player, drummer and ultimately played the stand-up bass in the school band. He played in school music groups and began his prolific music career playing with several Big Bands around the State of Maine.In 1940, Al entered the University of Maine where he studied Engineering Physics. He was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma, Al was the co-director of the Maine Dance Band, a member of the tennis team and the ski team during his stay in Orono. In 1999, Al was elected president of the Maine Class of 1944, where, with his other classmates lead many successful philanthropic programs to benefit the University. Al was also elected to the Francis Crowe Society (UMaine Engineering) in 2007, and the Maine Block M society.After Maine, Al joined the MIT Radar lab, and soon after, enlisted in the U.S. Army serving as a Technical Sargent in the Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth, NJ continuing his scientific work in early radar research and development. During his service, Al jumped onto a troop transport to play music for the troops traveling to and from the European theater. He was discovered, and treated as a stowaway until the ship’s captain found out he had the highest security clearance of anyone on the vessel!After discharge from the service, Al returned to MIT earning a Master Degree in Instrumentation in 1953. While at MIT, Al was elected to the Sigma Xi Society, and worked under Dr Draper at Instrumentation Laboratories where he continued various advanced research projects including the award of several patents for his work.After Graduation from MIT, Al grew his academic pursuits in Sales and Marketing. Al became a registered patent agent, and worked on several inventions of his own. Al combined one of these inventions with his love of analytics and baseball to create a “calculator” to compute baseball statistics, “The Baseball Percentage Solver”, which he marketed at Braves Field, Fenway Park and in The Sporting News.During this time, Al’s musical pursuits migrated towards all forms of Jazz. Al dove into the very active Boston Jazz scene of the 1950’s where he gigged at many of the popular clubs of the period meeting and playing with many local and national stalwarts. Al’s Jazz career continued throughout his entire life, playing regular gigs well into his 80’s. He loved to play, and he truly loved the many wonderful musicians and people that he met along the way. Al enjoyed and supported all forms of the arts from theater, dance, music, photography and fine arts.In 1958, Al re-kindled a childhood relationship with Jo-Ann Prince of Lewiston Maine. They were married, and moved to Concord, MA where they had two children, James and Heidi. In Concord, MA, Al was active in the expansion and construction of the Trinity Episcopal Church, he served as an Emerson Hospital Corporator for 60 years, and founded Service to Youth Ministries to provide mentoring for young people during the 1970’s.Al founded technical marketing and innovative product companies, and served on several boards of directors. He remained active in business up to the day of his passing.Al was an outdoorsman who was an Eagle Scout, and registered Maine Guide in his youth. He also loved skiing, hiking, boating, sailing, nature photography, tennis and golf. Al combined his love for golf and entrepreneurship submitting and receiving a patent for a new golf scoring system one week before his death.Al was an avid fan of all Boston professional sports, but he particularly loved baseball. He enjoyed the breaking of the Red Sox curse in 2004, but especially loved the Boston Braves. Hours after his death, he was most certainly tipping pitches to the Atlanta Braves during the World Series clinching game on Nov 2nd.Al loved all forms of travel. He traveled extensively for pleasure and business across the U.S., and to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East where he developed many lifelong friendships that he maintained throughout the years.Al is survived by his son, James of Boxborough, Mass., daughter Heidi of Acton, Mass., sister-in-law Evelyn Cyr Ehrenfried of Lewiston, grandsons Shamus and Samuel Ehrenfried of Acton, Mass., and granddaughter Alyssa Ehrenfried also of Acton, Mass., Nephews David and Stephen of San Jose, Calif.Al was predeceased by his wife Jo-ann Prince Ehrenfried of Acton and Lewiston, and brothers David (Lewiston) and Paul (Palo Alto, Calif.)Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Al for visiting hours on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, from 4-7 p.m., in the Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap St, Concord, Mass. A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, November 18 at 11 a.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm St., Concord, Mass., with U.S. Army Military Honors to follow. Burial will be private. Concord’s town flag will fly at half-staff on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 in honor of Al’s service to his country.Arrangements under the care of Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap St., Concord, MA 01742. 978-369-3388. To share a memory or offer a condolence visit: http://www.concordfuneral.com.Gifts in memory of Al Ehrenfried may be made at umainefoundation.org/memorial to be added to the Albert D Ehrenfried Class of 1944 Scholarship Fund.