John Aubrey Alexander

John was born October 4, 1931 in Atlanta, Georgia to Addie Kate Patterson Alexander and John Tillman Alexander. He graduated High School from the Toccoa Falls Institute in Toccoa, Georgia in 1949. He then attended Asbury College in Kentucky for two years before joining the Air Force in 1952, serving as a Weapons Officer, Navigator and Radar Instructor in Texas and Alaska. After his retirement from active duty in 1957, John joined the Air Force Reserve, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1991.

John married Phyllis Jane Taylor in 1954. They were married 51 years and raised three children before her death in 2005. After leaving active duty in 1957, John and Phyllis moved to her home state of Michigan. He returned to college to finish his education, earning his B.A. degree from Michigan State University in 1958. John and Phyllis then moved to East Tawas, Michigan to establish a stable home and raise a family. He continued his studies at MSU part time over the next several years, earning his M.A. degree in 1967. He worked as a classroom teacher at Oscoda and Tawas Area Schools for several years, and then as Principal at Tawas Area High School from 1969 to 1988. Upon retirement he was honored with a concurrent Resolution of Tribute from the Michigan Legislature for his 29-year career in education.

John was very active in the Tawas community. An avid private pilot, he was a member of the Flying Club at the Iosco County Airport and served on the Airport Advisory Board during a term on the Iosco County Commission. He was a Commodore at Tawas Bay Yacht Club, where he taught his children to sail. He was a very active amateur radio operator (“Ham”) all his adult life, achieving the remarkable goal of making and documenting a contact in every county in the United States. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Tawas United Methodist Church, Kiwanis, American Legion, and Master Gardeners, and he served on the board of the Iosco County Community Foundation.

John served in the Civil Air Patrol (Auxiliary of the US Air Force) both locally and nationally for decades up until the time of his death, flying countless missions, inspiring many young people to pursue aviation and service, and receiving numerous awards. He received the Distinguished Service Medal for his term as Michigan Wing Commander from 1992 to 1995. In the following years he was honored with the Exceptional Service Award in the Great Lakes Region for several positions of great responsibility, including Regional Chief of Staff.

John married Donna Kaye Morgan in 2008, and they lived in East Tawas, Michigan until moving to St. Simons Island, Georgia in 2012. They lived a happy life together until her passing in 2021. They loved to travel, visiting family, attending music or cultural events, or just exploring around Michigan and other parts of the U.S. Over the course of his life John visited all 50 states. He ticked the 50th box with a trip to Hawaii in 2016 with Donna, his daughter Sue and Richard, and his brother Doug and wife June, where he flew a flag on the USS Arizona Memorial, sailed on the Pacific Ocean, and enjoyed a few mai tais.

Community service and involvement were central to John’s life, and this continued after his move back to Georgia. He was secretary of the GARA amateur radio club, where he was the driving force to jumpstart the move of the club’s emergency response equipment to the new emergency operations center in the Carl Alexander Public Safety Building. He was also involved in the local CAP organization, American Legion, and Experimental Aircraft Club. John was a longtime beekeeper and gardener and was active in the local Farm Bureau Beekeepers and Master Gardeners. He was a member of the St. Simons United Methodist Church and the Fort Frederica Presbyterian Church until his passing.

Despite his very humble upbringing, John was a curious and adventurous Renaissance Man who loved to share his knowledge and experiences with others. He learned beekeeping from his uncle as a boy, and he taught it to his daughter Sarah, who is now a beekeeper. He taught himself and his family to sail, and now his daughter Sue is an avid sailor. He loved flying, and he shared this passion with his son Jim, who is a pilot and now owns his own plane. He enjoyed gardening, and his various homes always featured beautiful gardens, where he loved to cultivate flowers and feed the birds. He was very interested in genealogy, and he leaves volumes of carefully researched history to his family. His belief in and support of education leave an enormous legacy in his family and community.

John was preceded in death by both of his wives, Phyllis and Donna. He is survived by his daughters Sarah Alexander of St. Simons Island, Georgia, and Sue Alexander (Richard Jarratt) of Richmond, California/East Tawas, Michigan; son James (Tia) Alexander of Burlington, Wisconsin; grandson Clay (Meredith) Alexander and great-grandchildren James and Emma of Wisconsin; grandson Luke (Zoe) Alexander of Georgia; granddaughter Katelyn (Jordan) Thigpen of Tennessee; and granddaughter Shelby Borek of Georgia. He was preceded in death by his sister Catherine Hawkins and his brother James Alexander, but is survived by his brother and best friend Douglas Wayne Alexander of St. Simons Island, Georgia; his dear sister Julia Barrett of Charlotte, NC; his brother John (Heather) Alexander of Wenatchee, WA; and many other beloved relatives. He is also survived by his step-daughter Janelle Morgan (Nathan Clark) and step-granddaughters Ainsley and Isla of Florida.

A celebration of John’s life will be held on Friday, January 13, 2023 at 10:00 am at Fort Frederica Presbyterian Church, St. Simons Island, Georgia. John’s ashes will be interred in the Alexander family plot at Ebenezer Methodist Church in Conyers, Georgia at a family service on Saturday, January 14, 2023.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a memorial donation to one of the following charities John supported: the Iosco County Community Foundation Community Improvement Fund in East Tawas, Michigan: https://www.cfnem.org/iccf/give/your-biggest-impact.html; or the Toccoa Falls College Valley Farm Program: https://www.tfc.edu/giving (select ‘Valley Farm’ for the gift designation)

The family extends our deepest thanks to the devoted caregivers who helped our Dad, the wonderful folks at Vitality Living Frederica, and the dedicated, professional, and loving staff at Coastal Hospice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.edomillerandsons.com for the Alexander family.