Born Boise, Idaho July 2, 1953,
Entered into Rest Atlanta, Idaho June 21, 2002 [back to top]
In 1975 Alan Creech joined the Pilgrim Cove Foundation Board. The camp at that time had been shut down and unused for a number of years. There was a movement to close the camp and sell it because it was no longer being used. Alan was instrumental in keeping the camp and reopening it. Alan and his family began working at the camp to fix the buildings. There were repairs needed for the three upper cabins, Freund, Brown, and Paddock. The cabins in lower camp needed to have work done on their roofs. A small kitchen had been added onto Old Rice. The addition was causing the snow to build up and slowly push it off of the foundation. Alan helped in removing the addition. There were dirty dishes in the sink that had never been cleaned after the last camp. It looked like someone had just packed up and left everything as is. Laura Creech spent hours cleaning the dishes so that they could be used again. Three cabins were moved to the parking area. One of the three cabins was the Trumbel Cabin. These cabins were combined to make the kitchen and dinning hall. Alan made the tables and stools for the dinning hall at Wilbur Lances shop in Nampa, Idaho. His family took them to McCall and installed them in the dinning hall. These tables and stools were used up until 2003. The Health Department eventually required the camp to construct a larger dinning area due to the large number of campers. A tent was purchased and erected at the end of the dinning hall. His family helped build the floor and raise and lower the tent for several years.
Alan went to several state agencies to get permits to allow the camp to open. He had to continually go back to get the temporary permits renewed so that the camp could stay open.
Alan Creech built the first several docks that the camp had. He spent time at the Idaho Prison talking with people who built docks. He spent a lot of time learning how to build docks and then the family spent a lot of time in McCall building the docks.
Alan borrowed a large truck and got several railroad ties for Pilgrim Cove Camp. Alan and his family took the railroad ties there to build the steps that lead to lower camp.
Alan helped raise Old Rice to put the foundation back under it. Alan built the bathrooms in upper camp that are named “Creech Hall”. His family and the Nampa First Congregational Church Youth Group cleared several of the old trails that were covered over so that they could be used again. Alan helped moved the staff cabins in at the parking lot level. His family spent numerous hours opening and closing camp each year, painting cabins and repair work.
Alan was also a camp counselor and camp director at numerous Pilgrim Cove Camps through out the years. He loved being at camp and seeing all the children enjoying the environment. He loved being around kids and interacting with them.
Alan Creech resigned from the Pilgrim Cove Foundation Board in 1995 after 20 years of service. Alan Creech loved Pilgrim Cove Camp. His family spent a lot of time at Pilgrim Cove Camp over the last 27 years of his life.
Profiles In Faith - Learning about Alan Creech [back to top] By W. Evan Golder, September 2002
Every now and then you read an obituary about someone who seems very special—and you say to yourself, I wish I'd known that person. Alan Creech was such a man.
He was a police chief and moderator of both his local UCC church and his Conference. He was a juvenile delinquent who had nearly dropped out of high school but, when he died, was within a few courses of getting his Master's degree.
And, according to many of the speakers who addressed the crowd of more than 3,000 at his memorial service, he was a husband, father and grandfather, lawman and mentor, deacon and role model, camp director, counselor, hunter, fisherman, jokester, golfer, runner, kayaker, bicyclist, cross country skier and avid camper.
But mostly he was a man of deep faith who said very clearly that his faith was a great resource for his work as a police officer.
"I found him to be incredibly grounded in his faith," says the Rev. Héctor E. López, Central Pacific Conference Minister. "I'll always think of him and his great love of the local church, especially that little church in Nampa, and of his great love of camping ministry.">
It was that urge to enhance the camping ministry of First Congregational UCC in Nampa, Idaho, that led to his death. On June 21, Creech, 48, and his best friend, Reserve Officer Mark Hupe, were killed when Hupe's Beechcraft Bonanza crashed into the forest. The two men were scouting wilderness campsites to augment the church's camp at Pilgrim Cove in McCall, Idaho.
"Alan wanted to go and do a different thing," says the Rev. Philip Oliver, interim pastor in Nampa. "He wanted to take a group of youth and take them to the wilderness.">
Attitude Had Changed A week before he died, while sitting on his back porch with Oliver, Creech told him that through the United Church of Christ his whole attitude toward other people had changed.
According to Oliver, Creech told him, "My involvement with the UCC has affected my whole attitude toward diversity." Creech said that because of the UCC, he began to be inclusive in his hiring practices. "He hired blacks, he hired Hispanics, he hired women," says Oliver. "And this was not always easy, because this is a very conservative area in Idaho.">
"He helped integrate the police force," says López. "He felt that, in order to police a community, the police force has to reflect the community it is policing.">
Creech grew up moving in and out of foster homes, while both his parents battled alcohol and substance abuse. He went to jail twice and was on probation the first time he tried to get into law enforcement. A review board gave him a second chance, and he passed the entrance exam on his first effort. In 1974, at the age of 21, he joined the Nampa Police Department and in 2000, he became its chief.
In 1999, when he was Assistant Police Chief, he told the Idaho Press-Tribune that nothing is more important in fighting crime than adults getting involved early and often in a child's life. Children need proof that adults care, he said.
He tried to model that belief in his own life. He took leadership in building the Nampa Boys and Girls Club, then put a police sub-station right next door. He was active in the Shop with a Cop program, which pairs officers with low-income youth who otherwise may not get a chance to buy Christmas gifts. And every year he directed a week-long church camp.
At the memorial service for Creech and Hupe, the Rev. Charlottie Havlicak of McCall Community UCC told how Creech awoke one night to noises in the kitchen tent. Standing in front of the tent in his boxer shorts, Creech ordered the intruder to come out. It did—but it was a bear with a can of bacon grease, not a burglar. Creech allowed the suspect to leave with the goods, she said.
God Gave Opportunity According to Havlicak, the Creech family—Alan, Laura, his wife of 30 years, and their three children—all played active roles in the small, tightly knit Nampa church.
"He was a fine man," she says, "very sincere with his feelings.">
Two weeks before his death, Creech counseled a fellow student at Boise State University, Marilee Cross, while she gave him a lift to a restaurant. Later she wrote about that conversation.
"I do what I do because I care about God and his people and I really feel blessed that God has given me the opportunity to help in any way I can," she remembers him saying. He continued, "People have told me that I have really contributed a lot to the force and to the community, but I don't like to hear things like that. I do it because I want to, and for no other reason. I could die tomorrow and be at peace with the accomplishments God has provided.">
"When Alan died, people said, ‘What are we going to do?'" says Oliver. "And I said, ‘We're going to have to step up and be the church that Alan knew we could be.' We're still processing this. This church is going to be processing this for years.">
Profiles in Faith is about models of faith in the United Church of Christ. The Rev. W. Evan Golder is editor of the national edition of United Church News.
Transcript,
Alan Creech -
Police Chief, Nampa, Idaho[back to top]
My philosophy has been that the police department is to mirror the community. When I became the Assistant Chief, we had no Hispanic officers. We had some bilingual Hispanic civilians and I kept asking, "Why don't we have bilingual people, why don't we have Hispanics?" The common response I got was, "We can't get the good people to apply." And so we started really trying to change the texture of our department, because what happens is that young men come up here, and our officers do not understand their culture. They don't understand what it's like to be a young Mexican male, and driving is usually the first thing that brings them to our attention.
I was one of the chiefs in the state this last year that supported a bill to allow illegal aliens to obtain drivers' licenses. It was a very practical bill to me because what happens is that they get here, they don't have drivers' licenses, they can't get insurance, they don't understand the rules and we end up cross hairs of them and it starts a cycle that is hard to stop.
So what we try to do at our department, and I think it is working for us, is we try to aggressively hire diversity, not just Hispanics. We have 16 female officers now for instance so that we can understand that side of the culture. But we still have a lot of work to do. I was going to comment on education. I spent quite a bit of time recently researching crime prevention and particularly juvenile delinquency.
Research has clearly shown that the competency development will prevent crime and no matter how we teach it, if we can get kids to read and write and understand those competencies, their chances of being involved in crime are less. So in our department, we are heavily involved in programs at school districts, things that I could never dream police would be involved in, because we believe firmly that that will determine crimes, and we won't have to deal with them in a negative basis in the first place.
"I do what I do because I care about God and His people and I really feel blessed that He has given me the opportunity to help in any way that I can...I try to never let pride get in my way...People have told me that I have really contributed a lot to the force and to the community, but I don't like to hear things like that. I do it because I want to, and for no other reason. I could die tomorrow and be at peace with the accomplishments God has provided." —Alan Creech (in a conversation with fellow student Marilee Cross), June 2002
Alan Creech, a great friend, colleague, and student in our Master of Arts program, died in a plane crash near Atlanta, Idaho on June 21, 2002. Creech was flying with reserve officer Mark Hupe, scouting for camp sites for their church. Both men perished in the accident. A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, June 27 at 10 am at the Idaho Center. All are welcome.
Alan was the epitome of a gentleman and a scholar. Everything he did in the M.A. program—his in-class discussions, presentations, exams, and papers—centered around his desire to improve quality of life in the region, especially in Nampa. Unrelentingly, he stood for honor, integrity, and service. He had a natural inquisitiveness about what works to control and prevent crime; his quest was to find the answers and apply them for the good of his community.
Alan was a great source of information, not only to his fellow students, but also to his professors. We all benefited from his professional experiences in law enforcement, which he was so willing to share with us both inside and outside of class.
His last course term-paper examined the issue of violent crime and gangs in Nampa. In the paper, Alan reviewed gangs and gang behavior, and examined the increase in drive-by shootings in Nampa. He suggested that there may be a connection between the shootings and a potential and emerging gang problem in the city, something to which he desperately wanted to find a solution. Alan said, "The community needs to unite in action. Accurate, reliable, and valid information is critical to community action." His paper ended with proposed criteria for gang crime identification.
Alan Creech will be deeply missed here at BSU and throughout the community. Our hearts mourn and our prayers are with the families of Alan Creech and Mark Hupe. —Criminal Justice Administration Faculty & Staff
Alan's Fellow Classmates Also Mourn His Loss:
"I, like everyone else, was shocked to hear the news about the death of Alan Creech. Although I only knew him from a few classes that I had with him, I held deep respect for the man. It was because of Alan that I considered being a Nampa police officer. I could tell he was a man of great integrity and dedication. A man that I would be blessed to serve under. When he was asked why he was dedicating such time and effort to getting a masters degree, a degree that he didn't need to advance his career, he replied that he didn't really know why. After thinking about his reply and his motives, I came to the conclusion that he wanted to improve himself and learn how to be the most effective police chief possible. What dedication! He is a man that I hold in great esteem, a man that I wish more people were like. It's heartbreaking that this world has lost Alan Creech. I deeply mourn his loss. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and those of Mark Hupe." —Misty Kifer
"This is truly tragic. As most of you know, Alan was not only the Chief of Nampa PD, but was also a grad student with us at BSU. I had the pleasure (as did many of you) of having Alan in several classes at BSU, including Tony's stats class in the Spring of 2001,where he was one of only four to finish. I also knew Alan's son Andy quite well. Andy is a deputy with Payette County and worked at Pinkerton Security at Hewlett-Packard with me during the summer of 2001. Anyway, I'm still in shock and just felt like expressing myself to my fellow students. Thanks for listening..." —Ryan Merz
"I too am deeply saddened by the news about Alan. It was a great opportunity to be in the graduate program with him. Alan brought a great deal to class discussions, having worked in the field for so long. He was always willing to share his work experiences with other students. He was a great asset to the program. As a Juvenile Parole Officer in Canyon County, I work closely with the Nampa Police Department. I respect the officers and the department a great deal. I know this stems from positive leadership and a strong example; all of which Alan demonstrated. My heart goes out to Alan's family and to the Nampa Police Department. Alan made an impact upon this community and he will be deeply missed. " —Stephanie Breach
"I too am deeply saddened by the news about Alan. It was a great opportunity to be in the graduate program with him. Alan brought a great deal to class discussions, having worked in the field for so long. He was always willing to share his work experiences with other students. He was a great asset to the program. As a Juvenile Parole Officer in Canyon County, I work closely with the Nampa Police Department. I respect the officers and the department a great deal. I know this stems from positive leadership and a strong example; all of which Alan demonstrated. My heart goes out to Alan's family and to the Nampa Police Department. Alan made an impact upon this community and he will be deeply missed. " —Stephanie Breach
"I know how much he contributed to our department and he was a very kind man. We all should try and meet at the ceremony somewhere."
--Laura Kelley
"When I first heard the news I was in a state of shock and disbelief. How could my friend and classmate from this past semester be gone? It was just a little over a month ago that we sat next to each other in Dave's class and he always had a friendly word to say or story to tell about his police department, one he was truly proud of. I recall a night in Early May when we were enjoying an end of the semester get together at the Ram where Jeff and Alan recanted war stories from the good old days of law enforcement. Although I only knew Alan a short time, it was a positive experience. I thought quite a bit about his family and how they were going to cope with this. I lost my father at a young age and it was very traumatic for me, and I really feel for his family. My condolences and my regards go to Alan's family in this difficult time." —Brandon J. Clifford
"I came to know Alan in January 2002 when he and I were enrolled in Dave Mueller's Juvenile Justice class. Alan, myself and another student (Jeff Black) set at one end of the table. I really got to enjoy the class. For one reason Dave was always so animated and full of zest for his topic and two because he could always bring on an argument, which I found very stimulating. Alan always had something to argue back, but he did it in a way that was positive and encouraging. I always loved to hear what he had to say because I found that he, I and Jeff had the same values and concerns about our youth today. I remember several evenings walking from class to the car with Alan and Jeff and as we would walk we would discuss the evening's topic. I told the two men on several occasions how I felt like I didn't quite fit in to the program and that the only reason I could discuss the topic was that I was a mother myself and had raised some very productive and moral children. We talked a lot about morals and childhood and I came to know that Alan had overcome a very difficult childhood. But as he would talk about his past I never noted one negative remark about his parents or his unfortunate upbringing. And he would usually have an encouraging word for my uncertain feelings about where I belong. This of course leads me into my story...
After the spring semester was over I decided to take on an intense three week course with Bob Marsh. To my pleasant surprise Alan was part of the class. I knew if he would start the discussion that I could follow the lead and participation would be a little easier (because that was the way it was in Mueller's class). And it worked for Marsh's. If Alan talked I could always follow because he made sense and made me always feel that what I had to say was important. One evening following class everyone was going to be meeting at a local restaurant. I wanted to go, but would have been the only woman. And I decided I might not fit in...Everyone had left for the restaurant, two fellow female students and I stood out in the parking lot talking. Alan approached after several minutes and asked if one of us could give him a lift to meet the guys. He told us that his patrol car would not start. I said that I would be happy to drop him at the restaurant. It was the words of Alan Creech during that five minute car ride that would live infinity...
Alan had come to know my frustrations of feeling like I did not fit into the mold of the Criminal Justice system. He had come to know how I was a victim and that being a victim was the only thing I felt that I had to hang on to inside this sometimes discouraging discipline. I had mentioned to him that I was at a crossroad in my life, that school would soon be over and I would have to figure out what I was going to do. I told him that I didn't feel as if I could make a difference in the system and that my small voice was probably not going to make much of an impact. I said this all in a humorous tone because I didn't want my friend to think that I was truly hurting as I struggle to find my way. But Alan could see through me and with his soft spoken and kind manner, he politely told me that I already had made a difference. He told me that during our Juvenile Justice class and into the current class I had made an impact. He said that I had taught him a lot about being a victim, and that he could see that my pain was real. He said that we need people like you who can help us see the hurt. Alan told me that I was probably helping the educators understand the importance of victimization and that Mueller probably learned by my tragic past himself. He then begin to talk about humility and how he tries to stay humble while following the demands of his job and helping the community. Alan said, "I do what I do because I care about God and His people and I really feel blessed that He has given me the opportunity to help in any way that I can...I try to never let pride get in my way." We agreed that pride has a way of destroying the most beautiful intentions. And Alan wasn't going to let that happen.
He then said, "People have told me that I have really contributed a lot to the force and to the community, but I don't like to hear things like that. I do it because I want too, and for no other reason." He then said, "What I am trying to say is that you are making a difference and you probably don't even know the people who you have affected. A job will come to you, but it will not be as important as the work you do when you don't even know you are doing it." And I will never forget these following words of Alan Creech. "I could die tomorrow and be at peace with the accomplishments God has provided." We were pulling into the parking lot at the restaurant and Alan went for the door, "Something will happen, just be patient..." What I didn't know then, I know today. God was preparing Alan Creech for his death. He was giving him the opportunity to reflect on all of the goodness that He had provided and it was obvious that Alan was grateful. In those brief five minutes I learned that some of the most important moments in our lives are when we are completely unaware they are happening and some of the most precious lessons we will teach are when we are unaware that we are teaching...
He will be missed, but I am truly blessed by knowing Alan Creech..." —Marilee Cross
"I met Alan Creech for the first time six weeks ago after the spring semester, when he was out with other students on a social event. From the first meeting he proved to be very personable, capable of talking very interestingly and providing expertise. He was a highly skilled person and a flesh and blood police officer at the same time. The way he was talking about his agency proved that he was really caring. We participated together in the summer class and Alan's expertise was the reason he was addressed more by the colleagues than any other participant. The time in class simply flew by and Alan never missed the opportunity for a private meeting after class. He showed interest in the fact that I came from a police agency abroad, showing his openness for outside ideas. We agreed to meet again over the summer to exchange on a professional level. I deeply regret that it will not be possible any more to meet this friendly man and impressive professional. My thoughts are with his family." —Georg Fliege
"I was deeply shocked with the news of this tragedy and the loss of such a kind, smart and enjoyable fellow student. He was an immense help on a variety of subjects that I am working on, including all the modern day problems with youth, society and the police work involved. I offer my condolences to his family. My wife Sarah and I send our deepest prayers and wishes for the family." —Dr. Luigi & Sarah Testa
"Alan was in my graduate-level budgeting course last fall semester. He was an excellent student. Even more importantly, he was such a decent, likable person. He was one of those people that you get to like immediately. Alan already had gained insights into government budgeting from his work. Yet he never once portrayed himself as "I know it all." He was in the course to learn. Through his enthusiasm and interest, he quickly became a major contributor to our class discussions and helped all of us (including myself) to add to our understanding of budgeting in government. Oh, that grin of his! (I smile just thinking about it.) It was friendly and warm. It was intriguing. It always said that Alan was thinking. I was not always sure what he was thinking. That grin was there when he said something funny. It was there when he was serious. It was there when he was laughing at me. It appeared when he was laughing at himself. I admired and respected Alan so much that I asked him to be a guest speaker in the spring semester. He was very interested about coming. However he had a class at the same time, and we never did finalize the arrangements. There are so many people who are missing Alan, and I am one of them. Yes, we all are very sad over this tragedy and will be for a long time. Yet, we all have been so fortunate to have know Alan. We will always remember him. I will keep Alan and his family in my prayers. As I close and stare at my screen, looking back at me is Alan's grin. Oh, that twinkle in his eye." —Richard Kinney, Professor, Department of Political Science and Master of Public Administration Program
"I was so saddened to read about Alan Creech's death this weekend. I had just talked with him on Friday afternoon, apparently a few hours before the plane crash. As you know, we did an assessment in Nampa a few years ago and the entire community and frankly most of the department just loved him. Got a call a few months back from one of his lieutenants just letting me know how great he (Alan) was doing as a chief. I'll never forget going to a huge community event - God and country - and he received an award there. He was really committed, as well, to completing his Masters, as you know. What a loss for that community." —Jon Walters, Seattle
"I met Chief Creech after he contacted Jon Walters at WRICOPS about developing a strategic plan for the Nampa Police Department. I knew a bit about the Nampa PD, as it is very highly regarded in northwest community policing circles. I'd also heard very positive things about Alan from colleagues in the Criminal Justice Department where he was working on his masters. None of this prepared me for just how genuinely kind, compassionate, intelligent and dedicated I found Alan to be. Strategic planning can be difficult and success is dependent upon the commitment of the Chief. Alan worked closely with everyone at the Nampa PD to establish a open professional environment for law enforcement. It was clear that everyone loved their Chief and held him in the highest esteem. I constantly heard about how approachable he was and how willing to listen and address concerns in the community and in the department. Later I worked with Chief Creech and Lt. Vincent on a study on volunteer use in public safety. Nampa offers some very useful approaches for volunteer management and I took diligent notes when meeting with the Chief. He made one comment regarding use of volunteers that I recall quite clearly and I think it sums up the character of Chief Creech. He noted that using volunteers, just like working with employees and community members, required trust and he just found that he could trust most people. The loss of Chief Creech as a law enforcement professional is staggering, but the contributions that he made to his community, to his colleagues, and to his fellow students serve as a tribute to that simple philosophy -- he just found that he could trust people. I will keep his family in my prayers and absolutely believe that he is continuing God's work." —Patricia J. Fredericksen, Ph.D., Incoming Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
United Church News: Letters to the Editor, October 2002 [back to top]
He Did Know Alan Creech
Your story about Alan Creech, "Learning about Alan Creech: 'I wish I'd known that man'" in the September 2002, edition brought much meaning to me. I did know that man—and what a man he was. Alan and I knew each other for many years and at one time we both belonged to Nampa First Congregational Church.
He helped lead the men's retreat at Pilgrim Cove Camp a couple of years ago and on the subject of the role of men in the church today what he said was this: "We must stop the violence." Period. Our role as men of the church is that we must stop the violence. What great words from a guy who knew what he was talking about as a former juvenile offender, a police chief, a community leader, a church member and a fellow human being. We will all miss him very much.
Steve Scanlin
First Congregational UCC
Boise, Idaho
Appreciated Creech Article Thank you so much for your lovely piece about Alan Creech in the September 2002 issues of United Church News. My husband, John Crouch, and I had the privilege of knowing and serving with Alan on the Pilgrim Cove Camp Foundation Board and as co-counselors while we were at Plymouth Congregational Church in New Plymouth, Idaho, in the late '80s-early '90s. He had tremendous commitment to the camp, his family, his church, his police work, and other things of which we weren't even aware. He also was a great storyteller, whether talking about the very intense narcotics cases he was involved in at that time or laughing at himself for getting a speeding ticket. We were deeply shocked and dismayed to learn of his death, and share the grief of his family and all who knew and benefited from Alan's life, work and ministry.
The Rev. Doris Dunn, Hospital Chaplain
Sierra Arden UCC
Sacramento, Calif.
Remembering Alan Creech I became acquainted and subsequently friends with Alan Creech and his family in the early 1980s. Alan served on the Pilgrim Cove Camp Committee beginning way back then. He was an energetic worker and supporter of outdoor ministries. His demonstrated leadership abilities and personality lead others in his local church, Association and Conference to choose him for other positions in the church. He rose to each occasion with maturity, growth and a necessary grace. But at the same time he remained dedicated to Pilgrim Cove and its outdoor ministry, the Idaho Association and the Central Pacific Conference.
Yes, he was a person to know, who gave more to relationships than others gave to him. One was always a better person for having shared life with him. He will be missed.
Thank you for your thoughtful article.
The Rev. Arden Fritz
Yucaipa, Calif.
Find Us We are located on the Payette Lake near McCall, Idaho. The camp is situated on 11 acres of forested property.
