Obituary: Theodore Edmund Alexander

Great-grandfather, teacher, lifelong learner

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Theodore Edmund Alexander on January 18, 2023, at the age of 95,” his family shared. “Born on August 13, 1927, in the small town of Hood River, Oregon, Ted had an impact on everyone he met and leaves behind a legacy of kindness and respect.”

After growing up in Hood River, he served as a medic in the United States Army at the end of World War II in Okinawa, Japan. After his service, he began attending college at the University of California, Los Angeles. He graduated with a teaching degree specializing in science and history, then began his teaching career in Apple Valley, California.

With his wife Mary and their two daughters, he returned to UCLA in 1969 to get his doctorate in medical history. He then took a job as a science teacher at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he remained until his retirement. It was during this period that he lost his wife to a heart attack.

Through St. John’s Presbyterian Church he met and married Joyce in 1981. In 1999 the couple moved from West Los Angeles to Claremont and became members of Claremont Presbyterian Church. Living in Claremont, they were embraced by a warm and welcoming community, made good friends, and enjoyed all the area had to offer.

His family remembers him as a man of deep conviction, generosity, and curiosity.

“He was always learning,” they said. “His passions ranged from reading, gardening, puzzles, poetry, and assembling a Christmas village each year, but he found his true passion through spending time with his family and friends.

“Ted’s light and his unwavering commitment to all he held dear will live on through his loving wife Joyce, daughters Patty and Pam, stepsons Jeff and Greg, and numerous adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“No matter how near or far, his family and friends always held him in their hearts and will continue to do so. He will be deeply missed.”

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