Snapshot: Alex Ache
Occupation: My wife, Nicole, and I both work at Eaton Aerospace in Bethel. The company makes small sensors for aircraft, and we are working on parts for the new space shuttle. I am a quality engineering manager, and she is a financial analyst there. So we get to do lunch dates, which is nice.
Family: I met my wife when we were in college at Lehigh University down in Pennsylvania. We were both materials science engineering majors, so my grades went up when I met her. My brother, my dad, and my great-grandfather had all gone there to study materials science. Nicole and I have three kids. Warren is the oldest, he's 7, and Cameron is 5. They both go to Head O' Meadow. Vivian is 3 and is in day care. They love Newtown and our neighborhood. We don't have other family in the area. Our parents are about two-and-a-half hours away - close enough where they can come and visit, but far enough where they have to call before and are not pounding the door down.
Four years. We spent one year in Bethel before that to give us time to find the house that we wanted. Even though we had to move our stuff twice, it was worth it because we were able to find our neighborhood. We had put an offer on the house in Newtown in December right before the tragedy, but I'm really glad we stayed and purchased it. It was a good decision.How long have you lived in Newtown?
What do you like to do in your free time? Work on the house. I actually enjoy building and finishing rooms. That's my latest hobby. Beyond that, I like canoeing with the boys; I take them to Taunton Pond. I'm getting them into skiing now.
Do you have a favorite book or author? The Reason for God Dune. It's an old science fiction book by Frank Herbert. It was one of my favorites growing up.by Tim Keller. He's a Christian writer, and very cerebral. My whole life I was never religious, up until we moved to Connecticut and the tragedy happened. It flipped my whole life around. Tim Keller talks to engineers like me in a way I can make sense. I stumbled across his book on Amazon, and it changed my life. Also, once you have kids you gain a new perspective. We go to Walnut Hill Community Church now, which is fantastic. Also, my favorite fiction book is
What is your favorite travel destination? Nice, France. It's where my wife and I got engaged. It's beautiful, and we have friends there.
The quaintness. The people are very real and down the earth, despite what seems to be picture perfectness.What is the best thing about Newtown?
Who or what has been the greatest influence in your life? My faith and Jesus have played a big role in my life. Ask me five or ten years ago and who knows what I would have said. It's hard to find a real superhero. In life you meet people and become introspective of yourself. I met a monk my age, and he was so wise and kind. So, I practiced Buddhism for a while, searching for answers. It was the beginning of my path. Before that, out of college, I was really into making money. I thought, I'm going to be rich, and I learned a lot about physiology, fear, and greed when money is on the line. I learned levelheadedness.
If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? My wife. We don't have enough time to spend together. I'd like to go back to Newport, Rhode Island. It's where we got married. We haven't been there in ten years. That would be fun to do.
Who is your favorite musical artist? Stan Getz is an incredible jazz artist. His song "Misty" is really good. When I was in the band I was a saxophone player, and he's a horn/saxophone player.
What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? It comes from the Bible, "Love God with all your heart and love others." That's what I tell my kids. If they follow those two things, then all the rest fits inside that.