James Alexander M.D.

1933 - 2019

James Alexander, M.D., long time resident of Ukiah, CA, passed to his rest Saturday, February 16, 2019 at his home in Carson City, NV. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1933, and resided in Ukiah, CA from 1962 until 2018.


Dr. Alexander was a practicing ophthalmologist in Ukiah from 1974 until 1984. He began private practice in Ukiah as a family physician in 1962. He, along with general contractor Al Niderost, built the duplex medical offices across the street from Ukiah Valley Medical Center where he also served as chief of staff.


His many hobbies included flying which allowed him at various times to practice in Lakeport as an ophthalmologist and Covelo as a family physician. He maintained multi-engine and IFR ratings and functioned as medical examiner for FAA incidents in the 1960s.


After retirement in 1984 he focused on his love of astronomy learning to build telescopes and grind lenses for the scopes he built. He maintained his radio shack as a Ham Radio operator with a general license for 60 years and helped establish the 2-meter repeater on Cow Mountain. He enjoyed teaching his grandchildren to fly remote controlled airplanes. And he loved traveling the world with his wife Beth visiting remote locations as a nature photographer.


He served in Public Health on the Blackfoot Indian reservation, in Browning, Montana, 1960-1962. During this time, as a part of the Coast Guard, he was stationed on a weather ship in the Pacific Ocean. Plagued with sea sickness he was dropped off on Midway Island for several weeks where he became proficient at chasing Gooney Birds off the runway.


He was preceded in death by his wife, Beth McKee Alexander, and his son, Donald Alexander. He is survived by daughter, Kathy Janzen, 4 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren.


Memorial service will be at Redwood Valley Assembly of God Church, 3 pm, Friday, March 1. Interment will be in the family plot at Lakewood Memorial Garden East, Chattanooga, TN.