Former Selectman, mathematics wiz, ping-pong enthusiast
Published August 15, 2019
LITCHFIELD, Conn. — Lee Marshall Alexander passed away peacefully July 26, 2019 at the home of his daughter, Lynne, and her husband, Christian Bratina, in Litchfield, Conn. He was 93. Lee was born in Quincy, Mass. to Nettiedean Coombs Alexander and Ketchum Abner Alexander on June 4, 1926. Lee was the younger of two children and grew up in Glen Rock, N.J, and Wellesley Hills and Quincy, Mass.
Lee graduated from Quincy High School in 1944 and, wishing to become a pilot, enlisted in the Navy. He was accepted into the V-5 program, the Naval Aviation Cadet Program, at Dartmouth College. This was an accelerated program to fast track officers into the Navy during WWII. (The V5 program was later transferred to the V12 program.) Lee graduated from Dartmouth College in February 1947 with a degree in mathematics, having completed his degree in 2 ½ years. While in college, Lee learned to kick left-footed, and played left back on Dartmouth’s soccer team. He did graduate work at Boston University in Public Relations for Public Schools.
Shortly after college, Lee met the love of his life and future wife of 68 years, Polly Robinson Hanson Alexander, on a blind date. They married on February 19, 1949 in Quincy, Mass., and had four children: Brooke Alexander (Robert Brown) of Arlington, Virginia; Lynne Alexander (Christian Bratina) of Litchfield, Conn.; Glenn Marshall Alexander (Kerry Campbell Pugh Alexander) of Harvard, Mass.; and Reed Ketchum Alexander (Doris Jurisson) of Cambridge, Mass. He had nine grandchildren: Kevin (Margaret), Eric, and Tyler (Tara) Brown; Ilija, Julian, and Margaux Bratina; Ruth (Gregory) Turner, Jane Alexanderr, and Olivia Alexander, as well as three great-grandchildren: Vera Turner, Eleanor Brown, and Wheeler Stanley.
While in North Reading the family forever welcomed AFS exchange student Ingerlise Jacobsen Phillipsen into their home and lives. Lee leaves a brother-in-law, Roger W.T. Hanson (Peggy), and many cousins, nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by Polly in 2017 and his brother, Dean Dickson Alexander, in 1976.
Lee started his professional career as a high school math teacher and also taught driver education to students in Brunswick and Bridgton, Maine. With his Uncle Al Comstock’s encouragement, Lee moved his family to Connecticut and entered the Actuarial Training program at Travelers Insurance Company. Lee spent the rest of his career as a Casualty Actuary and worked for the Travelers Insurance Co., American Mutual Insurance Co., the Massachusetts Workman’s Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau, the Auto Insurance Bureau of Massachusetts, and the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Lee and Polly lived in Windsor, Enfield, and Tariffville, Conn., North Reading, Mass., and Toronto, Canada. While in North Reading Lee served the town as Selectman and chaired the Finance Committee. Lee and Polly were avid bridge players, making lifelong friends through the game. Lee’s passion for and love of playing tennis and ping-pong (into his 90th year) is shared by his children and grandchildren.
Lee retired to Hebron, N.H. in 1985 and was a resident of Hebron until his death. He had spent two summers at Newfound Lake as a child, and as an adult had spent many years vacationing in the White Mountains and New Hampshire Lakes Region with his family. He and Polly were drawn back to the area in retirement. Lee and Polly loved their life in Hebron with their family, friends and neighbors. In 1999, they joined with others as members of the Hebron Common, LLC. This small group of townspeople pooled their resources together to save the Hebron Village Store.
Lee continued with civic contributions to the town of Hebron, the Newfound Audubon Center in Hebron (part of the N.H. Audubon Society), and the Newfound Lake Region Association. He developed a retirement lifestyle which was part gentleman farmer and part golf, tennis, bridge, horseshoe, and ping-pong hobbyist. He supported Polly’s dried flower business, Polly’s Pickin’s, by propagating her flowers. In the winter, he hosted weekly ping-pong games on the three tables in his post-and-beam barn that he designed and built onto the house. He was a competitor and left an impression on everyone he met, but was always a patient bridge teacher, an enthusiastic tennis coach, and a forgiving ping-pong partner.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at 1 p.m. at the Union Congregational Church in Hebron, N.H. A reception will follow in the basement of the church. Lee and Polly will be interred at Hebron Village Cemetery. Contact with the family may be facilitated through Reed Alexander at Reed-Alexander@comcast.net.
