2003 RELL SUNN AWARDEE

Alex Szekely was a leading advocate of the total health concept - incorporating the well being of one's body, mind, and spirit into a single package for lifelong health and happiness.  He was also a committed family man and tireless volunteer who led and served on a number of local boards dedicated to the betterment of the San Diego community.  Sadly, he lost his multi-year battle with cancer late last year and his aloha spirit will be sorely missed by family, friends and the community alike.

Born 45 years ago in San Diego to Deborah and Edmond Szekely, visionary parents who are often credited with starting the fitness revolution, Alex Szekely grew up to passionately embrace and teach the value of life lived close to, and in harmony with, nature.

Family, always the important core at the center of Alex's life, was balanced with his work as president of Rancho La Puerta and the Golden Door.  He often spoke of his desire to carry on and grow the legacy of his parents' work in health of body, mind and spirit.

To that end, and in the pursuit of wanting to expand the knowledge of healthful ideas throughout communities of the world, Alex was one of the founding members and president of the International Spa Association (ISPA). He worked diligently to spread the word regarding the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.  Recognized as a visionary leader in the spa industry, he championed a mind/body/ spirit connection to health that transcended the traditional concept of treatments, nutrition and exercise.

Alex's accomplishments were many and came from his desire to make a positive difference in both his life and the lives of others. Working for the betterment of the community and volunteerism were engrained in Alex. He was affiliated with many local organizations and led or served on a number of community boards.

During recent years, as President of La Jolla Youth, Inc., his passion became youth sports.  He dedicated his time to the benefit of all the children of the community, spearheading the renovation of athletic fields and coaching his son's  t-ball and soccer teams.

It could always be noted that when Alex was prioritizing items that were important to him (and he loved to make lists), "Health (free of cancer)" was always at the top of the list - followed closely by family and friends.
At the young age of 22 years old he was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's lymphoma - which he battled and conquered - but not easily.

At 39, he was again diagnosed with cancer - this time a melanoma on the right ankle, which was surgically removed with all nodes being clear. Exactly five years later, he was told the melanoma had returned to his thigh area. A yearlong battle ensued, with Alex never giving up hope, and always expressing to his family and friends that he would beat this disease that had invaded his body.  However, it was not to be, and he peacefully succumbed to it in the early morning hours of October 30, 2002.

With his wife, Diane, and their two sons, Jacob and Joshua, Alex was an active member of the La Jolla community. As an advocate of the University of California, San Diego, Alex had supported the UCSD Cancer Center Luau & Longboard Invitational since its inception. Always an attendee at the event, he felt a strong connection to the work being done to help cancer patients.

With kindness and an open heart and mind, he was always available to help others with their "due diligence work" (as he called it) in finding meaningful and appropriate information to ensure that they received the best treatment possible. Alex felt that knowledge was power; the more you knew, the better your chance for survival. He believed it was his role to share the wealth of information he had accumulated with others in the same situation.

In an interview, Alex once said, "My calling is to spread the message that if you wait, you're going to have to go through some painful understanding that health is precious.  Start taking control on your own.  I've had cancer. I've lived healthy my whole life. And cancer still happens.  You have to take health seriously."

Words of wisdom from a gentle, generous, wonderful spirit - one who savored life to the fullest.

Mahalo, Alex!

Thank you to our 2008 or 2009 Luau & Longboard Invitational’s title sponsor, Pfizer La Jolla.