Shortly after being diagnosed in December, Alf lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, the Associated Press reports. He is survived by his mother.

Alf is credited with joining a group of volunteers in 1970 to start the celebrated San Diego convention and, according to fellow co-founder Mike Towry, fronting a few thousand dollars to fund the convention for the first three years of its existence. Alf also provided rides in his car for other co-founders during that time.