Wesley Merle Alexander

ALEXANDER, WESLEY MERLE Wesley Merle Alexander, 78 of Waco, passed away Sunday, October 3, 2004. A memorial service will be held at 2pm Thursday, October 7 at Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit with the Rev. John Wells officiating. Dr. Alexander was born March 9, 1926 to Dolly Madison and Lucian Merle Alexander in Prairie Hill, Texas. He was a devoted and loving husband of his wife of fifty-five years, Mary K. Their marriage was truly an unusual bonding of spirit and heart and his love for her was unconditional as it was also for his children. Wesley Merle was the father any child would hope for-spontaneous and adventuresome, caring and loving, but serious and disciplined when he had to be. He was proudest of his children when they overcame even the smallest of obstacles. Wesley Merle was a man of many talents and interests. He graduated from Waco High School in 1943 and served in the U. S. Navy in the Pacific theatre. He graduated with two bachelor degrees 1949, 1952 and two Masters degrees in Physics and Music, both in 1953 all from Baylor University. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, in 1975. Wesley Merle spent eight years at the National Aeronautical and Space Administration upon its founding, working at the Goddard Space Flight Center, where he was Principal Investigator on many experiments on America’s first earth-orbiting, lunar, and interplanetary unmanned spacecraft. Later, returning as a Professor of Physics to Baylor, where he worked for an additional twenty-nine years, Wesley Merle, better known as “Dr. A,” was an intense and dynamic teacher, a creative and innovative researcher, and a diligent and persistent community servant. While at Baylor, he continued his space research with additional spacecraft experiments, including shots to Halley’s Comet and on the NASA space shuttles. Wesley Merle was also a founding faculty member and later Director of the Institute of Environmental Studies for over twenty years. He was named Outstanding Researcher in 1992 and retired from the university in 1996. Wesley Merle was, at various times in his life, a member of Herring Avenue Methodist, Trinity Methodist, Lake Shore Hills Presbyterian, Central Presbyterian, and the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit churches and was both a Sunday school teacher and a beloved choir director for many years. Last but not least was Wesley Merle’s intense love and passion for music which he shared with his wife from the earliest days of their relationship. They were both musicians in the Waco Symphony for many years. His sister, Mary Helen, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Mary Kathryn of Waco; children, David and wife, Marie Azzinaro of Oklahoma City, Kathryn of New Haven, Connecticut, Sara and husband, Mahamane Mamadou of Waco, and Matthew and wife, Kathleen of San Antonio; grandchildren, Samantha Youts, Elizabeth McKown, Olivia Alexander, Noel Alexander, Salif Mahamane, Aissa Mahamane, Christopher Alexander, and Stephanie Alexander, and great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Barwick, Erin Wilson, and Alex Wilson. Memorials may be made to Baylor University, Dr. W. Merle Alexander Scholarship Fund. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY