Thomas Theron Alexander's Obituary
Thomas Theron Alexander died peacefully on May 29, 2025, at age 82 at Palo Alto Commons in Palo Alto, CA. He was a Bay Area resident for 10 years having moved from New Jersey to be near his sister, prominent attorney Mary Alexander, a resident of Atherton.
Tom was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the son of Theron and Marie Alexander, on October 9, 1942. When he was two years old, his father deployed as a lieutenant in the Navy to the Pacific in WWII. After the war, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois for his father to obtain a PhD at University of Chicago. In 1947, Tom became a big brother when his sister, Mary, was born. Subsequently, the family moved to Tallahassee and later to Panama City, Florida. There, he developed many fond childhood memories of wildlife and living on the water.
During those early years, he first learned his lifelong passion for Ham Radio. He would go with friends on overnight field days into the woods to try and contact as many Ham Radio operators as possible. He loved being a Ham Radio Operator and proudly held the call sign W3HRO his entire life maintaining his Radio Telephone Operator License. Throughout the years, calling “CQ”, he contacted many people from all over the country and the world.
In 1956, the family relocated to Iowa City, Iowa. Tom graduated high school from University of Iowa High School. He earned an Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Iowa State University. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, he overcame his disability and enjoyed working as an electrical engineer for his entire 40-year career.
On August 11, 1979, Tom married his wife, Ann, in New Jersey. Together, they enjoyed listening to classical music and being in nature. Tom’s favorite classical music was Beethoven’s Symphony No.9. They loved bird watching and traveling to Vermont to see the fall foliage. They spent lots of time in their RV trailer at a beloved lake in Arlington, Vermont. As enthusiastic sports fans, they cheered for the Yankees and the Warriors. They were married 44 years when Ann passed away in November 2023.
Tom was known for his wit, good humor, and great smile. He also had an outstanding memory of numbers and remembered every telephone number since his childhood until his final years. He was a kind and gentle soul who always greeted you with a smile. His presence will be greatly missed.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Theron and Marie Alexander, his wife, Ann Alexander, and his brother-in-law, Lyman “Skip” Faulkner, Jr. His survivors include his sister, Mary Alexander of Atherton, his niece, Michelle Loftis, and her husband, Tom Green, of Menlo Park, his great-niece Lily Loftis, and great-nephew Ian Loftis.
A private family Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at Skylawn Memorial Park on Tuesday, June 10 at 10:00AM.
What’s your fondest memory of Thomas?
What’s a lesson you learned from Thomas?
Share a story where Thomas' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Thomas you’ll never forget.
How did Thomas make you smile?