Bertrand Roland Gobeille, the third of the five children of Amedee J. and Lillian M. (Cote) Gobeille, was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island on September 13, 1939. He received his early education in Woonsocket public schools and Woonsocket High School before his enrollment at the University of Rhode Island (1930-33) where he pursued studies in business administration and science.

Before entering the Order, he worked in Rhode Island and Iowa as a manufacturing chemist and plant supervisor, doing experimental chemical research dealing with polymers in association with electro-deposition of metals. He later took over management of the section of manufacture in which this work had been developed and was a member of the American Chemical Society (Rubber Division). Hewasasportsenthusiastand duringhistimeinIowawas a basketball and football official and member of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Approved Officials. In August 193Provincial 5, Bertrand was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps and later entered active duty, serving as an Artillery Officer until detailed to work as Inspector General. He was on the staff of General Walter Krueger, 6th Army, in the Philippines and served at the Headquarters of X Corps in Japan. Later he was Inspector General of the 4th Engineer Special Brigade in Japan. He was also employed in Military Intelligence and Military Government and served as Defense Counsel of General Courts Martial and TrialJudge Advocate of Special Courts Martial. In November 1957, he retired from military duty with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Bertrand then entered the Dominican Order and received the habit on September 12, 1958, being given the religious name, Alan. On September 13, 1959, he made his profession of vows and was assigned to St. Pius V Priory, Chicago, where he worked in the Provincial Vocation Office. In January of 1962 he was transferred to the Aquinas Newman Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was manager of the physical plant and supervisor of the building of the Center's new wing. In March of 1964 he was assigned to St. Rose Priory, Dubuque, Iowa, where he did fiscal and maintenance work until the following November when he was again assigned to St. Pius V Priory to work in the Provincial Mission Office.

In September of 1 969 Brother Alan was assigned once again to the Aquinas Newman Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he served as business manager and director of maintenance, until May of 1980, when he was assigned to limited service. However, he continued to use his business skills for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, serving at various times as a parish accountant for Our Lady of Fatima (Albuquerque) and Immaculate Conception (Tome) parishes. In 1994 he moved to the newly formed Summit Community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he resided until November 2001, when declining health dictated his assignment to the province's assisted living center at St. Pius V Priory, Chicago, Illinois. Since that priory was under renovation, he resided temporarily at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, until March 2002, when he finally moved to St. Pius.

Brother Alan broke his hip on April 1, 2002, and a partial hip replacement was

necessary. Although the surgery itself was successful, he became gradually more disoriented and eventually slipped into a coma. He died at the JR. Bowman Center (Rush- Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital), Chicago, on the morning of April 23, 2002. Office for the Dead and the Mass of Christian Burial were celebrated at St. Pius V Church, Chicago, on April 2 5, 2002, followed by burial in the Dominican Plot, All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois.