A memorial service for Alex Koji, owner and operator with his wife Lois, of Virginia's Blue Ridge Hostel, will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the Glenwood United Methodist Church, 2043 Coal Creek Road, Galax, VA 24333. Alex died on Jan. 9, 2010, in Galax at the age of 88. A retired engineer, he opened the hostel to world travelers in 1988. His memorial service will be "his fly away," said Lois.
“Alex’s stories, his consistent regard for safety, his passionate opinions are going to be missed,” said Lynn Wilson, a volunteer for Hostelling International-North Carolina Council. Wilson was a fellow charter member when hostel councils were launched in NC. “This leaves a hole in our hearts,” she said, “but it also leaves many with a new appreciation for the Southern Appalachians because of the window that Alex and Lois have opened.”
Alex became President of the Piedmont Council of American Youth Hostels when it was first chartered and also served on AYH's Southern Region Board. Alex was an active volunteer for the Blue Ridge Mountain Music Center, a member of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway-Fisher’s Peak Chapter, and Glenwood United Methodist Church, Galax, Va. More about Alex’s life is published in the January 11 obituary notice in the Galax Gazette. A guestbook is available at www.vaughanguynn.com.
After Alex's failing heart decided him on closing the hostel, the HI-NC Council honored him at a June reception at the Rex Theater in Galax.