It is with great sadness and shock that we reflect on the untimely passing last Monday, May 21, of our friend and colleague, Lindsey Altshul. Since 2005, he had been the co-owner of the Pepperland Cafe, in South Berwick, ME. And before that, he was one of the people that made bringing you the New England Real Ale eXhibition such a pleasure.
During one of the earliest NERAX festivals, a chance encounter at Redbones brought our Program Editor, Bob Dea, to Lindsey and his best pal Ernie Adamo. Lindsey generously offered Bob an extra ticket to join them in seeing a show at the Somerville Theater. After that, both Lindsey and Ernie joined CASC.
Lindsey became the Foyer Manager and for years, his was the smile that greeted you at the door. He had a wonderful warmth about him, our current Foyer Manager, Jan Williams, recalls. Lindsey truly enjoyed interacting with people. His sense of calm was also a treasure, both in meetings and in the face of operational challenges. He didn't get excited or lose his patience, he simply dug in to find solutions.
And we have Lindsey to thank for our current Festival Organizer, Mark Bowers, as Lindsey was the main reason Mark got involved with volunteering for NERAX many years ago.
Even after his ambitions led him to found the Pepperland Cafe, Lindsey stayed in touch with us, and he often attended the Industry session at our festivals. He touched so many lives in so many positive ways, our hearts go out in common grief to his family and friends.
A memorial service will be held for Lindsey on Saturday, May 26, at 2 pm at the South Church, 292 State St., Portsmouth, NH. There will be an evening of music at the Barley Pub in Dover, NH starting at 8pm. If you can join in the celebration, please do.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to an arts, conservation or local food organization in your community — or giving a simple act of kindness to a person in need.
Here's to Lindsey!
