Barbara A. Alexander, 90, local retired school teacher and businesswoman, passed away Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, following an extended illness at Signature Healthcare of Fentress County, Tenn.
She was born Nov. 15, 1929, in Sneedville, Tenn., and grew up in Murphy.
She entered Mars Hill College in 1947, transferred to Wake Forest University, earned her bachelor’s degree and later her master’s from Western Carolina University, majoring in English/history.
Barbara and her husband, Frank A. Alexander, moved to Jamestown, Tenn., in 1959 along with their three children.
In 1964, Barbara resumed her career at York Agricultural Institute teaching senior English. She later changed to York Elementary in 1973 until her retirement in 1996.
Throughout Barbara’s teaching career, she was an outstanding educator and mentor to those of Fentress County taking on diverse roles from special education to assistant principal.
Barbara and her husband, Frank, co-operated the Western Auto Store until 1967, managed the WDEB radio station until 1971. Later they built and began Alexander Tire Center.
She was a member of Allardt Presbyterian Church, Home Demonstration & Retired Teachers Association, often attending the senior citizen center where she enjoyed a good game
of bridge with her fellow companions.
Barbara was an active member of the Fentress County community who enjoyed and loved the company of her lifelong friends and kitty cats.
She will be loved and missed as an outstanding and inspiring educator, friend, mother and Mimi.
Mrs. Alexander is survived by her son, James Allen Alexander and wife Pat; daughters, Lynda Weingartz and husband Robert, and Nancy Susan Skinner; brother, Jerry Arnold and wife Sonia; grandchildren, Alexandra Brooks Wright, Kayla Crum, Sarah Skinner and Erin Skinner; and great-granddaughter, Livesay Lee Wright.
Mrs. Alexander was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Alexander, and parents, C.W. and Minnie Arnold.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, at Mundy Funeral Home Chapel in Jamestown, Tenn., with Brother Tommy Duncan, and the Revs. Jonathan Angel, and Erin Angel officiating, with burial following in the Allardt, Tenn., cemetery.
Pallbearers included Johnny Wheaton, Jim Wheaton, Mark Norman, Chris Norman, Kenny Williams, Tom Potter, Pat Padget, Charles Smith, Steve Harrison, Robbie Harrison, Charles Lugo, John Cook, David Cook and Paul King.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Allardt Presbyterian Church or Fentress County Food Bank.Donations may be left at the Mundy Funeral Home.
Mundy Funeral Home of Jamestown, Tenn., mundyfuneralhomes.com, was in charge of arrangements.