ALEXANDER FILIPOV: A Desire to
Know
Alexander
Filipov, an electrical engineer, did not just check his
sons' homework. He explained it in complex mathematical
terms. He took them sailing and taught them to calculate
their location by the positions of the stars.
"He had incredible math acumen," said David, a son who
is a journalist. "But he was no genius whiz nerd. He
would go up to anybody and start telling stories about
himself."
He asked religious proselytizers about their lives and
showed them the backyard goldfish pond he had carved in
granite. He learned the phrase "Do you like Chinese
food?" in 17 languages to open conversations with
foreigners.
Mr. Filipov, 70, and Loretta, his wife of 44 years,
lived in Concord, Mass. He was a passenger on American
Airlines Flight 11, which was hijacked en route from
Boston to Los Angeles and flown into 1 World Trade
Center.
When he was 60 and on business in California, he went
bungee-jumping. "I didn't like when I was done," he said
later, "and nobody was looking at me."
"Every new gadget he found he had to tell you about,
whether or not you understood it," said David Filipov.
"He wanted very badly to learn things and know
things."
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