Alexander M. Filipov was born on April 11, 1931 in Regina, the capital of Canada's Saskatchewan province. He spent his childhood years in Windsor, Ontario and in 1955 he received a degree in electrical engineering from Queens University.

Al had the soul of an adventurer (at age 68 he was still bungee jumping) and as a young man he surveyed a significant section of the Northwest Territory. Later he moved south to the States, where he met Loretta. They married in 1957 and soon moved to Concord. In 1962 Al proudly became a United States citizen.

Al and Loretta had three sons, and the burgeoning family's roots spread throughout the community, where Al was a long serving Rotarian and member of the Human Rights Council. A devoted father, he was also a Little League coach, an assistant scoutmaster and a dutiful tutor (not just checking his kids' homework, but fully explaining it to ensure comprehension).

And Al was a devout member of the Trinitarian Congregation Church, where he played many roles through the years, including moderator, church committee member and deacon. Just a few days prior to his death, he and Loretta were hard at work, at the church picnic, soliciting volunteers and welcoming everyone back from the summer.

Al, who had an affinity for his fellow man, had a uniquely relaxed style that put people at ease. He liked to communicate, so much so that he could say a few words in 17 different languages.

In the early 1990's Al's company relocated to California and although they initially moved west, he and Loretta could not bear to be away from their Concord home. They returned a year and a half later with Al still serving as a consultant, frequently commuting cross-country on American Airlines Flight 11. Which was where he was on the 11th of September 2001.