Edward Leon Alexander

1922 - 2015

Edward Leon Alexander, cherished husband, father, grandfather, World War II veteran and proud member of the Greatest Generation, died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. He was 93. Graveside service: Was held Friday, Dec. 11, with military honors in Laurel Land Memorial Park, where he was buried beside his beloved wife, Faye Herriman Alexander. Memorials: charity of choice. Leon was born in a farmhouse in Obion County, Tenn., on Oct. 30, 1922, the only child of Richard Lee and Irene Marie Caudle Alexander. His early childhood was spent in Obion and Weakley counties, Tenn., where he experienced life on a farm without electricity or indoor plumbing and where he learned the meaning of hard work and the value of a dollar. Favorite pastimes were spent surrounded by his many relatives, riding his reluctant Shetland pony, Tony, and practicing his rifle skills on frogs, birds, squirrels and rabbits. He became a crack shot. Leon often said the knowledge he gained during these years helped immensely in enduring military hardships and in selecting his professional career. The Great Depression and his father's illness forced the family to move to Memphis twice, finally settling there in 1936. Although quite a change from the country, Leon enjoyed the simple pleasures of neighborhood kids, church and family outings to the famous Memphis Fairgrounds and zoo. His main transportation was a bicycle he ingeniously refitted with a gasoline engine that cruised at 10-15 mph. He always had a job. Leon graduated from Central High School in Memphis in 1940. On Dec. 6, 1941, Leon took a day off work to tour the campus of Mississippi College. Any hopes of enrolling changed the next day when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Despite his parents' trepidations, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in February 1942. He was 19. Although his vision prevented him from becoming a pilot, he got as close as he could. Leon served with the 316th Fighter Squadron in the 324th Fighter Group as a mechanic crew chief for P-40 and P-47 fighter planes, among others. World War II took him to India, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Italy, France and Germany until the war was over in 1945 when he was honorably discharged. He obtained the rank of sergeant and was awarded the Bronze Star. Attempting to adjust to civilian life back in Memphis, he was stopped in his tracks while walking into Temple Baptist Church by the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Seventy years later, he could still recall the first moment he saw her standing on the church steps. He pursued and won. Leon and Faye Herriman were married Aug. 22, 1947, and remained together for 67 years until her death Dec. 18, 2014. He counted her as his biggest blessing. The GI Bill allowed Leon to attend Memphis State College and graduate from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville on June 6, 1948, with a degree in agricultural engineering. He began work for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service on June 20, 1949, moving his young family, which now included son, Jerry, to Harlingen, Texas -- which seemed like the end of the world to two kids from Memphis. He and Faye were embraced by his fellow engineers and their families who promptly nicknamed him "Alex" and with whom they maintained lifelong friendships in the state they came to call home. His work as an irrigation engineer took them from Harlingen, where daughter Deborah was born in 1952, to Uvalde in 1955. They moved to Temple in 1959 and David was born in 1962. The final transfer was in 1971 to Fort Worth, where he retired in 1980. During his career he was responsible for countless projects aiding farmers and ranchers throughout 13 states. He turned down numerous promotions that would have required disrupting his family with other moves. Leon pursued many hobbies during retirement, including beautiful woodworking and collecting of all kinds. He could make or fix anything. He loved home cooking and had a huge sweet tooth. Leon was a keen observer of life and human nature, a skilled story teller with a twinkle in his eye and a wicked sense of humor. This was most evident in the autobiography he wrote for his children and grandchildren, "The Way It Was." He never lost his curiosity or interest in world events. Memberships included the SCS retirement group and University Baptist Church. The family extends special thanks to Vicki Samuelson for her loving care, his angels on earth, the staff and caretakers at Brookdale Westover Hills Assisted Living and, in his final days, Yolanda and Shelly with Brookdale Hospice. Leon was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Jerry Lee Alexander; wife, Faye Herriman Alexander; and son-in-law, Charles Edgar Nash III. Survivors: Daughter, Deborah Alexander Nash; son, David V. Alexander and wife, Cheryl, and children, Brandon and Madeline; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Eunice and Bob Bell; sister-in-law, Beverly Herriman; five nieces and nephews; and many Tennessee cousins.