ALEXANDER CORTESI

CORTESI--Alexander Cochrane, died on April 5, 2020 at his home in Manhattan. His wife, Wendy Mackenzie, was at his side. When Sandy entered a room his friends' eyes lit up. His presence transmitted energy, irreverent good humor, and deep fellow-feeling; he invited friendship from young and old. His departure leaves a void that the many who loved him will struggle to fill. As remarkable as his personal charisma was his aesthetic sense. He began collecting paintings and drawings as a young man, and his eye for beauty and emotional power in abstract art was unerring. His cooking was renowned, and remembered by all family members for the Christmas dinners he produced for as many as 28. In addition to his wife, he leaves his son, Lafcadio (with first wife, Alexandra Fuller), and his daughter, Vanessa (with second wife, Leslie Armstrong); his stepchildren, Alexandra and Ian Jacobus; his brother Dr. Roger Cortesi and sister Katharine Cortesi Armstrong; two granddaughters, Arianna and Zephania Cortesi; and two step-grandchildren, Diego and Minerva Macarrulla; six nieces and nephews; and a legion of loyal friends. His brother Henry died in 2015. Born in New York in 1939, he was a graduate of Milton Academy and Harvard College, where he played varsity soccer. He spent his career as a manager and entrepreneur, primarily in the software industry. Starting out as a salesperson at Bunker Amo, he worked with partners to found several small systems consulting businesses, working with a diverse group of large international corporations, including Rolls Royce, Bristol Myers; and American Can. He took his business skills to Washington, D.C., and with two well-known political consultants, developed a then-cutting edge technology startup called The Hotline, which was later purchased by National Journal. In retirement, he served on the boards of The MacDowell Colony, the New York School of Interior Design (Board Chair), and the Katonah Art Museum. He was so busy that in a 50th Reunion Report to Milton, he wrote, "there's never enough time to spend in our house in Italy, to learn Italian, to expand and put my art collection in order, or read!" He suffered a stroke in 2012 that left him partly paralyzed, after which he needed round the clock care. Whoops of laughter could be heard from the lovely room he reigned in, as he made his carers laugh. Throughout, his and Wendy's 48-year love affair was, for both of them, life's greatest joy.