Thomas "Tom" Wayne Alexander

Thomas Wayne “Tom” Alexander, 88, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on June 6th. He was born in Bisbee, Arizona in 1936 to FC and Bijou Alexander.

The family spent a few years in Tucson, but most of Tom’s formative years were spent in Douglas, Arizona where he attended Douglas High School. He liked math and took algebra and trigonometry. Army representatives from nearby Ft. Huachuca came to the school and explained the staffing challenges they were facing at the White Sands Proving Ground. At the time fewer than 10% of adults had a college degree and the Army needed scientists and engineers for the nations cold war efforts. He was a true patriot and decided to take the opportunity, so in 1954, upon graduating high school, he came to Las Cruces and began attending NMSU and co-oping at the proving ground. After receiving his electrical engineering degree, he stayed on at the proving ground and in 1960 married his hometown high school sweetheart Sharon Ackley. They had three children, a son Tristan (1964) and two daughters, Tracy (1969) and Trudy (1971). The White Sands proving ground was redesignated as White Sands Missile Range in 1958. Open air missile testing was in its infancy and required a lot of instrumentation to gather the necessary data and to perform flights safely. While working in telemetry, and later as chief, he played a large role in establishing the green river flight corridor that originates in Utah and has the impact area on the missile range. That enabled the development and testing of our nations intercontinental ballistic missiles that helped secure cold war victory. Tom and Sharon divorced in 1989, and he retired in 1993. Tom and his companion, Doris Arrington, would enjoy many years playing golf along with road trips to Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada. They also enjoyed going to North Carolina to visit with her relatives.

He was preceded in death by his father Franklin Cecil Alexander, mother Bijou Clemens Alexander, brothers Bill, Phillip and Jon Kent, and sisters Cecil and Paquita.

He is survived by son Tristan (Shelli), daughters Tracy Alexander and Trudy Nevarez (Brett) and grandchildren Kylee, Nico, Mark and Ryan, and companion Doris Arrington

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the St. Jude's Children's Research hospital.

Tom is being cremated, and the family will have a private ceremony in the future.