Fay Elizabeth Horner Alexander

Fay Elizabeth Horner Alexander passed gracefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 10, 2025, at the age of 98. Born February 14, 1927, in Ridley Park Pennsylvania, to Edgar J. and Bertha R. Horner, she was raised in Norwood PA, where she graduated from Glen-Nor High School and subsequently won a full four-year scholarship to Ursinus College, graduating in 1949. She spent many summers enjoying the beaches of Cape May, NJ as a child and later serving there as a summer waitress during her high school and college years. During WW2, she once observed the beaches of Cape May laced with oil slicks from US ships sunk by German U-boats. In 1945, she met, on a blind date, the dashing Merchant Marine officer, William (Bill) H. Alexander, who served in WW2 in the dangerous Atlantic waters with escorted convoys to supply the Allies, and later served in the Korean War with the US Navy. Bill literally swept her off her feet, and they were married in San Francisco at Treasure Island Chapel, August 4, 1949. While stationed in San Diego Naval Station, their first two children were born, sons Bill and Jon. Bill and Fay then lived in Pennsylvania as Bill pursued his college degree, before eventually making their home and raising their family in Gainesville, Florida where daughter Beth was born. Along the way, Fay pursued interests in writing, painting, and photography, delighting in capturing the drama of life and the beauty of nature. A woman of high moral values and a seeker of truth, she loved learning and understanding the world through art and English literature. Born on Valentine's Day, she delighted red and rosy hues, reflecting her lively spirit and delight in special occasions. Her early interest in sketching and painting, resulted in a collection of pencil sketches on letters to servicemen, and finally, six paintings which now grace her family home. In college, she cultivated writing skills which afforded, over the course of her life, occasional freelance writing for newspapers and journals, an award-winning published short story, and finally a published historical novel. Fay became a founding member of the Gainesville chapter of the Sierra Club in the 1970s, to advocate for and enjoy the Great outdoors. She and Bill traveled over the decades to many state and national parks, enjoying camping, hiking and cabin life whenever possible. In 1975, Fay received her Master's Degree from the University of Florida in Creative Writing. In the early 1980s, the profound event of becoming a born-again Christian marked a significant turning point in her spiritual journey, having explored various religious beliefs before embracing her evangelical faith. This led to a new life direction for her writing, as she was commissioned by the Lord to write the historical novel One Candle's Light, (about the Mayflower Pilgrim journey over decades from England to Holland and finally to the New World and Plymouth Plantation). Throughout her life, Fay enjoyed giving and receiving gifts, displays of affection, conversations with friends and family over meals, and attending seasonal and sacred concerts. She cherished her intimate friends all her life and leaves behind a loving legacy to her surviving children: Bill, Jon, and Beth Alexander. She was preceded in death by her parents, and cherished as a loving wife by her partner, Bill, for almost 69 years until his death in 2018. Fay is also survived by nephew Dave Walton Sr. and family, nephew Ken Allen and family, beloved niece Linda Purvis and family, "adopted" daughter Lisa Fowler, and Lisa's daughter, (Fay's namesake) Fay Laurel Moyers.
The family humbly invites all who knew and loved Fay to join them in a celebration of her remarkable life to be held on December 13 @ 11:30 am at Creekside Community Church, Gainesville FL, to give glory to God and honor Fay's life with love, hymns, scripture and stories, to reflect on the beauty of a life well-lived. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Creekside Community Church's Local Missions Fund at this link: https://creekside.com/give or mail a check to: 2640 NW 39th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32605 with Local Missions Fund in the memo.