Obituary of Frances Alexander

BEVERLY - In keeping with her life-long philosophy of doing the best with the hand life has dealt you, Frances Alexander, former State Representative, president of the City Council, and School Committee member, got involved in the political life for which she was best known when a friend asked her in the mid 1960s if she would serve as a poll worker on Election Day. At the time she had four children dependent on her, an absent husband, and the possibility of an extra 25 dollars sealed the deal. Thereafter, she went on to serve six years on the Beverly School Committee, six years on the Beverly City Council, four of which she served as Council President, and eight years as the State representative from Beverly. As State Representative she was instrumental in obtaining funding and construction of the new Beverly-Salem Bridge, which she often pointed out, had been promised but never delivered since she was a child. In addition, she worked with Beverly Hospital to obtain the gift of land and then advocated for and obtained the funds from the Commonwealth to build the Beverly Senior Center. In doing constituent services she took great pride in helping those who needed it, having been there herself, she would often say. Mrs. Alexander who was a resident of the Herrick House for the past 3 years passed away on May 15 after a brief stay at Beverly Hospital, at the age of 90. Mrs. Alexander was born in Salem in 1919, grew up in the Muddy Boo section of Danvers, and was a proud member of the Holten High class of 1937, where she served as a class officer, was a cheerleader, and played field hockey and girls basketball. She moved to Beverly in 1946 with her husband and two oldest children, and she has been active in the community ever since starting with the presidency of the Hardie School PTA. When her marriage did not work out (as the saying went in those days) she started her preschool, Mrs. Alexanders School in 1966, in the first floor of her home at the time in order to support herself and her family. The school grew quickly and as a result two years later she purchased the present location of the school at 80 Lothrop Street. With the help of a supportive extended family and friends, she was able to transform what had been a faided relic of a house, vacant for years previously, into the warm, bright, and welcoming school it has become. Starting with a first year enrollment of twelve children (many the sons and daughters of relatives and friends) and her good friend Barbara Burch as the other teacher, Mrs. Alexanders school grew to an enrollment of 90. Much of the credit of that achievement is owed to the staff of teachers and volunteers who worked there over the years, especially her good friend Sandy Walor, who was the director of the school for many years before purchasing it in 2004. In addition to owning and operating the school, Mrs. Alexander spent many happy and productive summers at Camp Christopher day camp, run by the legendary football coach and athletic director Charlie Walsh, located on the grounds of St. Johns Prep, where she started as the arts and crafts counselor, ended up the director of the girls camp, and was affectionately known as Coach Fran by the campers, counselors and sometimes members of her family. She was a strong believer in being active in her community and served on many non-profit local boards, including the Saint Vincent De Paul Society, Girdler House, Beverly Preschool, The North Shore Music Theater, and the North Shore Chamber of Commerce. Most especially she enjoyed being a part of the rejuvenation of Endicott College, superbly led by President Richard Wylie, where she served on the board of trustees from 1992 through 2003. She received an honorary doctorate from Endicott College in 2007. Among the many awards she received over her lifetime she was most proud of being named BNai Brith person of the year in 1988, and recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Beverly Democratic City Committee in 2005. For all of her accomplishments Fran Alexander was first and foremost a family person delighting in the company of her 12 grandchildren, Pete, Matt, Mike Giorgio, Suzanne Mirisola, Brett and Amy Alexander, Kristen Evans, William and Elizabeth Alexander, and Sam, James and Brian Alexander, as well as her 10 great grandchildren. She was the sister of the late Laura (husband Charlie) Denault, Edward (wife Ann) Flynn, and Alfred (wife Barbara) Flynn and the sister in law of the late Orville and Margaret Alexander, Vincent Alexander, and Richard Alexander. She is survived by her four children and their spouses, Connie and Peter Giorgio of Harwich; Bert and Jackie Alexander of Danvers; Jack and Sally Alexander of Franklin; and Tom and Jane Alexander of Beverly; as well as many loving nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her sisters in law Helen Alexander, Ann McGreavey and Dorothea Alexander. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church,253 Cabot Street, Beverly on Thursday at 10:00 A.M. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Visiting hours at Campbell | Lee, Moody, Russell Funeral Home, 525 Cabot Street, Beverly (North Beverly location) Wednesday from 4 to 8 P.M. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Frances Alexander Scholarship Fund at Endicott College, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Information, directions, condolences at www.campbellfuneral.com