Alan Champion, Sign-Language Interpreter for Theater, Dies at 55

Renowned sign language interpreter Alan Champion died from appendix cancer on April 25, 2011 at the age of 55. A child of deaf adults, Champion studied singing and acting in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, before moving to New York to break into theater acting. His career as an interpreter began on Broadway in 1980, when the theater offered an interpreting position for a production of “The Elephant Man.” Since then, Champion has served in various interpreting roles, especially in theater productions. Through his contributions to the deaf community, Alan Champion left behind a unique legacy that will be remembered by many local deaf and hard of hearing for years to come.

Read more about his story here.