Jim Alexander, age 91, died peacefully in his sleep in St. Paul, Minnesota, on 7 November. Jim was born in Harmony, MN, and raised in Owatonna, MN. Jim developed an early love and talent for photography, chemistry, and playing the drums in various school bands. After graduating from Owatonna High School in 1950, he enrolled in the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, where he completed his B.Sc. Pharmacy, and was certified as a Pharmacist by the State of Minnesota Board of Pharmacy in 1954. Jim served in the US Army Enlisted Reserve Corps from 1955-1957, assigned to the Surgical Research Unit, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX at Fort SamHouston. During his service Jim was part of a team working on recovery treatments for serious burns, and also research on development of an artificial kidney. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1957, and then continued in the Army Reserves Corp. While Jim was serving in San Antonio, he met and would later marry Barbara Troup in 1957, before they moved to Minneapolis.Jim worked as a drugstore Pharmacist (Gregg's 50th & France; Pennhurst 54th & Penn), Barbara worked as a hospital nurse, and they began raising a family; first Jim Jr. born in 1958, Robert born in 1961, and Mark born in 1964. Jim believed strongly in service to and with others, beginning that life-long commitment serving as Secretary to the MNPharmacy Assoc. (1961-1965), and then as Vice President of the American Pharmaceutical Association (1965-1966).Sadly, Jim's wife Barbara died in her sleep on 4 July 1966, leaving Jim to raise his 3 young boys, later with the assistance of a live-in housekeeper while Jim continued working as a drugstore pharmacist. In 1967, Jim met Barbara Lindsley ofSlayton, MN and they were married in 1969. When Fairview Southdale Hospital opened later in 1969, Jim joined the pharmacy staff there until he retired in 1994. Jim loved his church and parish, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, sang in the choir, and he also served in the Vestry there for several years. In addition to Jim's life-long love of photography, classical and jazz music, he also loved crossword puzzles (always in pen!), studying maps, camping, and traveling with his family, taking annual summer camping trips with the family to numerous western states and many national parks.In 1977, Jim started his sobriety with the help of many others, and in turn, spent the rest of his life committed to helping tens of others with their sobriety, including fellow pharmacists via the Pharmacy Recovery Network which he helped to form with the support of the MN State Board of Pharmacy. In recognition of his efforts and commitment, Jim was invited to become a guest lecturer at the University of MN College of Pharmacy and the University of Utah programs in chemical dependency and recovery. In addition to Jim's work with chemical dependency care and recovery, Jim joined a group of physicians and helped to form the International Health Service in 1982 focused on rural Honduras. He added his pharmacy skills to the team, solicited supply and drug donations from corporations, recruited numerous medical and dental professionals to join IHS as volunteers on medical trips, coordinated shipping supplies and equipment, provided Ham Radio communications among the teams while in rural Honduras, ran the central supply, and participated in trips to rural villages in Honduras for 24 years. For his service in all these efforts, Jim received several awards from many of these institutions, and the respect of the various communities he has served over the years. One of his proudest accomplishments was receiving a "Good Neighbor" award from WCCO Radio in 1989 for his community service.Jim suffered a stroke in December of 2021 which resulted in his need for physical care provided with grace and comfort by the professional staffs at Fairview Southdale Hospital, M Health Fairview Acute Rehabilitation Center, and finally at Episcopal Homes where he passed away. Jim is succeeded in life by his wife Barbara, his three sons and their spouses, Jim & Cindy, Rob & Becky, and Mark & Suzy, three grandchildren, Desi, Petra, and Elizabeth, and his sister and brother inlaw Ann & Doug Berglund of Las Vegas, NV. His spirit lives on strongly in the hearts and minds of so many.
Jim and his wife Barb