Obituaries

Stephen Holt Alexander

Stephen Holt Alexander died in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 12, 2017, after a struggle with Parkinson's. He was born May 29, 1924, in Harrison, Ark. As a child he lived with his family in Red Willow, Alberta, Canada, where his mother and father had a wheat farm. He attended a one room school house where he was the only student in his grade until, when he was 14, the family moved to Mena, Ark. He attended Mena High School, graduating in 1942. He went immediately to the University of Arkansas for one year, studying chemical engineering. He joined the Navy V12 program and finished his degree at the University of Oklahoma in 1945, finishing three years of work in two. The Navy then sent him on to Notre Dame where he earned his ensign rank. After serving in the Naval Reserve he finished his naval career as a lieutenant junior grade. Before he shipped out from Mare Island in the San Francisco area in 1945, he married Juanice Smith, his high school sweetheart. They were married for 63 years and had three sons, Wayne, John, and Gregory. He served on the USS Cape Johnson, a Navy troop transport repatriating soldiers to the United States after the war ended, visiting Shanghai, Guam, and Palau among other places. After the war, Stephen went to work in Borger, Texas, with Phillips Petroleum (1947). He then went to work for Lion Oil in El Dorado, Ark., (1948). In 1961, he went to work for Monsanto and the family moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he worked in their hydrocarbons division as a research chemist, specializing in asphalt products. He became research group leader. In 1970, he moved to Houston, Texas, to work for Gulf States Asphalt Company as Vice President of Operations, where he stayed until his retirement. He then began a second career as a stock broker with Dean Witter. Stephen holds nine patents and is a member of Tau Beta Pi honorary engineering fraternity. Stephen was a life long active member of the Baptist Church. He served as a deacon at Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston until he moved to San Antonio, Texas, in the fall of 2014. He was also active in Stephen Ministry, and volunteered tutoring children in past years in Houston. Stephen is survived by a sister, Elizabeth "Betty" Alexander Matthews of Pine Bluff, Ark., and three sons: Wayne (Barbara) of San Antonio, Texas, John of Austin, Texas; and Gregory (Patrice) of Crystal Lake, Ill.; a niece, Susan Arnold (John) of Texarkana, Texas, and nephew, David Matthews of Pine Bluff, Ark.; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Juanice, and one grandson. His family is grateful for his long, full, productive, and faith-driven life, and for the many friends he gathered along the way. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Parkinson's Foundation, www.parkinson.org, Tallowood Baptist Church of Houston, Texas, or to the charity of your choice. There will be a memorial service at 10:30 a.m. with visitation prior (9:30-10:30 a.m.) at Tallowood Baptist Church, 555 Tallowood Rd., Houston, Texas, 77024, on Monday, Dec. 11, 2017.

Published November 26, 2017

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