Alan E. Faye, Jr.
Alan E. Faye, Jr., of Princeville, Kauai, passed away at Wilcox Hospital on June 16, 2024. He was 91 years old. Alan was born in Oct. 1932 in Waimea, Kauai, to Alan E Faye, Sr. and Janet Barnes Faye. Alan was the grandson of Hawaiian sugar pioneer Hans-Peter Faye, who came to Kauai in 1875 as an independent sugar cane farmer. Alan was also a member of the Board of Directors for Kikiaola Land Company in Waimea for many decades.
Alan grew up on Kauai and spent many days hiking, sailing, and surfing on an old Koa board that weighed more than he did. As a young man, he studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor of Science. Alan worked at NASA’s Ames Research Center in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years. During his time at NASA, Alan earned an MBA from Stanford. Alan’s career at NASA included engineering work on flight simulation and human factors for the astronauts of the Mercury and Apollo programs. His passion was developing technology for short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, which has since evolved into the F22 Raptor and F35 Lighting.
He was an avid sailor, pilot, and instructor pilot. He ferried many small aircraft from California to Hawaii in the 1960s and 1970s, loading the passenger compartment with fuel bladders to extend the range. He even ferried a small aircraft to Australia, where he encountered many dangerous situations – which yielded wild stories for his grandchildren. Alan captained several sailing trips between Hawaii and California, typically on a 40-foot sloop.
In 1958, Alan married Louise Eckart of Wailua, Kauai. They had three children, Ian, Robert “Bo” and Megan. They have fond memories of him playing ukelele and singing old Hawaiian songs, sailing in San Francisco Bay, Monterey Bay, and Hawaii, fishing at the Hanalei pier, surfing together, viewing sea turtles at Queens Bath, and talking pigeon with the locals. Alan later married Susan “Susie” Knox-Cabe of Woodinville, Washington, with whom he resided in Princeville since 1984. Susie brought her three children to the family: Kathleen, Michael, and Keith Cabe.
Alan is survived by his three children Ian Faye, Robert “Bo” Faye, and Megan Demuth, nine grandchildren Corin Faye, Shane Faye, Shelby Demuth, Helen Faye, Bobbie Demuth, Emily Faye, Stella Faye, and Elizabeth Demuth, three great-grandchildren Josephine Faye, Theodore Morris, and Frankie Sanchez, brother Michael Faye, and sister Maren Faye. Alan joins his grandson Taylor Demuth, and sister Sally Muirhead, in eternity.
Services will be held at the Foreign Church in Waimea at a later date in 2025 to give Alan’s many family members abroad time to make travel arrangements. For more information, send an email to: alanefaye1932@gmail.com.
