Updated: 06 Sep 2009

[ Home ] [ Index ] [ Back ]

Crossville Chronicle
Crossville, Tennessee
November 1997

Orval Ross Alexander died at Cumberland Medical Center on Oct. 21, 1997. 

He was born on April 5, 1915 in Yorktown, TX, the son of Irvin Ross Alexander and Lola Wofford Alexander. Dr. Alexander was a graduate of Drumright High School, Drumright, OK, and held a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He worked for American Can Company Research and Development for more than 30 years, where he was a senior research associate, and at one time he was the director of research at the Barrington, IL, Laboratories.

Dr. Alexander and his wife, Eleanor J. Alexander, moved to Cumberland County in 1972 and built a home on Bell Road, where they lived until they moved to the Uplands Retirement Village in 1990. He served four terms on the Uplands executive board, most of the time as treasurer. He had a great interest in gardening and landscaping, and cared for the daylily beds on West Avenue for many years, and was president of Cumberland County Beautiful. He headed the volunteer tax-aide program for the American Association of Retired Persons and the Internal Revenue Service for Cumberland County for a number of years.

An informal coffee hour was held Oct 25 at Fletcher House, where he and Mrs. Alexander moved in June 1996.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughter, Jan Goodman of Indianapolis, IN; son and daughter-in-law, Jarel Ross Alexander and Cheryl Lane Alexander of Sun Prairie, WI; grandchildren, Adam S. Goodman of Seattle, WA, Katy Goodman of Bloomington, IN, and Lane Ross Alexander of Sun Prairie; and sister, Dr. Wyvona A. Lane of Alexandria, VA.

A committal service will be held at a later date at the Alexander Cemetery near Quero, TX.

SOURCE: Crossville Chronicle [Dec 2001]