Sharon Elaine Alexander

Sharon Elaine Alexander, 87, of Las Cruces, NM passed away peacefully on January 30th with her granddaughter by her side. She was born on July 22,1938 in Washington Courthouse, Ohio to Cleo and Estel Ackley. The family moved to Douglas, Arizona when she and her sister Sandy were in elementary school. Her parents owned and operated a diner, the Pioneer Cafe, a popular family eatery and hang out for the high school kids. After graduating from high school she moved with her mother to Tempe, Arizona. She attended some college there and in 1960 married her high school sweetheart, Tom Alexander, and moved to Las Cruces, NM. She finished her bachelor's degree in education at NMSU in 1962 when she began teaching in the Las Cruces Public School system. She would go on to take a long break to raise her three children, son Tristan (1964), and daughters Tracy (1969) and Trudy (1971). She went back to school to pursue a master's degree and returned to teaching in 1985 with the Gadsden School District. She and Tom divorced in 1989 and she retired in 2003.

After retirement she spent time traveling and with loved ones; she poured her heart and soul into her family, especially her grandkids. She was the force that held the family together, organizing every family event for years. She had a gift for connection, often a quick trip to the store would turn into a long visit with a friend. To know Kema was to love her. She will be greatly missed.

She was preceded in death by her mother Estel Ackley, father Cleo Ackley, grandson Mark Delaney, brother-in-law Bob McLendon, Lenore Losey, stepmothers Dee and Evelyn Ackley along with multiple aunts, uncles and cousins.

She is survived by son Tristan Alexander (Shelli), daughters Tracy Alexander and Trudy Nevarez (Brett), grandsons Nico Nevarez and Ryan Delaney, granddaughter Kylee Kinnamon Diaz (Hector) and sister Sandy McLendon and family.

Sharon is being cremated and the family will have a private memorial at later date.