Alexandra "Alexa" Stephanie Carroll

Carroll, Alexandra Stephanie, 51, Toronto, passed away on February 21, 2023 at home, after suffering a heart attack. Alexa was preceded in death by her father William (Bill). She leaves behind her husband David, her mother Jo-Ann, her brother Rankin, his wife Maryliz and their daughters, her nieces Sloane and Lauren, as well her Uncle Tony and Aunt Jane, her Uncle Donald and Aunt Donna, cousin Ron, his wife Cathy and their children Jin and Rae, and her cousin Rebecca, and her children Helena and Bruce, and many extended cousins and friends.

Alexa appreciated the theatre. That was her first love. She acted in plays, but then became an assistant stage manager, and then a full-fledged stage manager. She worked as a stage manager at many productions for over 30 years and built lasting friendships. People that worked with her, writers, directors, actors, and others who help put on the productions, always had a positive story that involved Alexa. She toured the Maritimes with Smile Theatre, and the east coast was a place she yearned to return to.

Alexa was on the Cayle Committee that oversaw the Cayle Chernin Awards, one of the largest awards in Ontario to empower artists in Media and Theatre Arts, which supports “the creation, development or production of a new work by female, female-presenting or gender non-conforming artists of any age for creation in Media or Theatre Arts.”

Alexa and David attended many Fringe shows, the Stratford Festival and the Shaw Festival, and many other productions, and Alexa often knew a number of the people in each production. Alexa also had assistant stage managers work with her who went on to careers as stage managers. The last production Alexa and David attended was ‘da Kink in my Hair, in December 2022.

Alexa loved film, to the point that she worked at Videoflicks and Blockbuster, and at TIFF and Sundance. Roger Ebert knew her from TIFF and recognized her when she worked at Sundance, a wonderful encounter that Alexa recalled fondly. Some of her favourite films included The Apartment; Apocalypse Now; Back to the Future, The Godfather; Moonstruck, The Silence of the Lambs, and Working Girl.

Alexa enjoyed playing bridge, euchre, game nights, and Mah-jongg, with long-time friends. She kept in touch and is still friends with many people she knew 30 and 40 years ago.

Alexa worked in the health industry and others for many years, including stints at CAMH, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, and the LCBO Finance Office. In February 2018, she started work in Project Management with Diamond Schmitt Architects, the firm who designed the gorgeous Four Seasons Centre, home of the National Ballet and Canadian Opera Company. She joked that she was now “stage-managing architects.” She worked on the David Geffen Hall project at Lincoln Centre in New York, and enjoyed wearing a hard hat when she visited the site during construction. She was proud to visit the Hall in its completed state in October of 2022. During that trip she had a sighting of Nathan Lane, which thrilled her.

Alexa loved music, and was an accomplished pianist and violinist, and in the last year or two she took up the ukulele. She loved to sing and was a member of St Joseph’s Wellesley high school choir until graduation. More recently, she joined the Scarborough Harmony Chorus in September 2017, which changed its affiliation to Harmony Inc in 2019. Alexa was working towards doing some quartet work before she had to take a leave due to health issues, but she was looking forward to returning soon. Alexa’s playlists were legendary. She loved all kinds of music, including the Beatles, anything funk, 70s, 80s, rock, disco, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, you name it. She did see The Born in the USA tour. She also liked to hear jazz classics, just like her mother Jo-Ann, and she attended concerts given by Gavin Hope and Fern Lindzon, among others.

Alexa changed the lives of everyone she met. Paige Johnstone, a friend from her Videoflicks days in 1991, said, “Every time I hang out with Alexa I feel better.” And Leo Wigglesworth (Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen, St. Michaels Theatre at U of T) said, “Alexa was such a kind, thoughtful, smart, multi-talented, well-read, and sharp-witted woman. I count myself very fortunate to have been her friend.” Anyone who met Alexa would agree, on all counts.

On Thursday, March 2nd, a visitation was held from 12 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. at Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home & Chapel, located at 467 Sherbourne St. in Toronto. A memorial service followed, which began at 2 pm.

A wider Celebration of Alexa’s Life will be held in Toronto, Ontario, at the Cecil Community Centre, 58 Cecil St. (near Spadina and College) on Saturday, July 29, 2023, from 5 pm – 8 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made in Alexa’s name to the Heart and Stroke Foundation https://www.heartandstroke.ca, or SickKids https://www.sickkids.ca, or to the charity of your choice.