Rev. Stephen G. Alexander

The Rev. Stephen G. Alexander, 82, died on August 23 at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. Mr. Alexander was a retired Episcopal priest and was for many years Vicar of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Newport, KY. He is predeceased by his parents, The Rt. Rev. George and Mary Alexander, and his wife, Leslie Merchant Alexander, who died after a long battle with breast cancer in 2003. He is survived by a son, George Currier Alexander, of Cincinnati; daughter, Starratt Alexander Scheetz and her husband Tony and twins Alexander and Eleanor, of Cincinnati; brother, John Alexander and his wife Lynne of Union Hall, VA; and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces.

Mr. Alexander was born in Jacksonville, FL, on Sept. 25, 1940. In his early years he moved with his family to various parish churches where his father, also an Episcopal priest, was called to serve. These locations included Florida, South Carolina, New York, and most notably Sewanee, TN, where Mr. Alexander attended high school at Sewanee Military Academy. He then entered Kenyon College in Gambier, OH, where he met his beloved Leslie, who was a student at nearby Denison University. They married in 1962. 

Inspired in part by his father, Mr. Alexander decided to enter the ministry and received his Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. He was called to serve parishes in  Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and in recent years the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. In addition to St. Paul’s, his churches included St. Luke's in Jacksonville, FL , where he was rector, and St. Martin's in the Fields, Columbia SC, where he served as assistant rector. He was noted especially for the depth of his sermons and his knowledge and love of church history, liturgy, and music. Throughout his career he faithfully counseled and supported his parishioners during stressful times. Mr. Alexander also served on a variety of boards and commissions, including the Appalachian People’s Service Organization.

Before his wife’s passing, he enjoyed traveling with her to destinations including Mexico and Japan, and wrote colorful accounts of their travels. In his retirement Mr. Alexander enjoyed spending time with family and friends, especially including his twin grandchildren. He loved entertaining and prided himself on his culinary talents; guests for dinner were typically greeted with a menu posted on the front door. He wrote and self-published a book of family recipes (which he called “receipts”), and as family historian he wrote lengthy and invaluable accounts of family exploits, some of them from his own memory and some derived from the accounts of elders. His annual Christmas letters to family and friends were memorable, as were his infectious sense of humor and story-telling skills.

A memorial service in celebration of Mr. Alexander’s life and service will be held 10 AM on October 28th at Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund, either online or at P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.