Alison des Forges was born on 20 August 1942 in Schenectady, New York, USA. She was married to Roger V. Des Forges. She died on 12 February 2009 in Clarence Center, New York, USA.
She died on February 12, 2009, in the air crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to her home in Buffalo, New York.