Mr. Richard Hamilton Alexander was born July 24, 1924 in Memphis,Texas and passed away November 5, 2017 in Denton, Texas. Viewing will be Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at the Denton Funeral Home. The graveside service will be Thursday November 9 ,2017 at Roselawn Memorial Park in Denton,Texas.
Obituary: Richard Hamilton Alexander, Sr.

Richard Hamilton Alexander, Sr. was born in the Panhandle of Texas on July 24, 1924, the first of six children of Roy Hamilton Alexander and Nettie Phelan Alexander. He passed away on Sunday, November 5, 2017.

He lived through the Great Depression as a child, graduated from Hedley High School, and was a student at Clarendon Jr. College when World War II broke out.

He enlisted and was sent to Abilene, Texas, for boot camp, where he was selected to become a medic in the United States Army. They transferred him to San Antonio, where he received training. On the day of his graduation from the program, he was flown to San Francisco, and immediately was taken to a ship headed for Australia. He was among the many brave American soldiers who took back from Japanese control numerous island nations in the Pacific Ocean. He remembered vividly the battles at Okinawa, Iwo Jima, the Philippines, and others. His ship was hit by a kamikaze plane, and he suffered injuries to his upper back that that plagued him the rest of his life.

When the war was finally over, he returned home and went to work, almost immediately, at the Agriculture and Conservation office in Clarendon, Donley County, Texas. Shortly thereafter he married the love of his life, Tommie Jo Bevers from Lakeview, Texas, and they moved to the family farm near Hedley, Texas.

After several years he took a leadership job with the National Farmers Union. That job took him all over the country; introduced him to farm leaders, advocates, and politicians from every state; polished his oratory skills; and deepened his understanding and commitment to the importance of the role that farmers play in the United States.

When John F. Kennedy was a candidate for president, he served on his Texas campaign committee. Kennedy appointed him to be an under-secretary of the Department of Agriculture, where he served about a year, then left to return to Texas to be with his family and to assume the position of District Director of the Agriculture and Soil Conservation Services (ASCS) agency for many of the counties of Texas.

He remained in that position until he retired in the late 1980's.

He and his wife parented two children, Sharon Alexander Newman of Waco, Texas, and Richard Hamilton Alexander, Jr. of Denton, Texas

Mr. Alexander was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Nettie Alexander; his wife, Tommie Jo; and one brother. Paul Esten Alexander.

He is survived by his two children, Sharon Ann Alexander Newman and Richard Hamilton Alexander, Jr., his son-in-law Mike Newman, and his daughter-in-law Sloan Alexander. His three grandchildren are Shane Newman and wife Casey of Amarillo, Texas; Rachael Alexander Haus and husband Joe of Independence, Missouri; and Ryan Hamilton Alexander of Kansas City, Kansas. He has two great-grandchildren: Addison Newman and Jackson Newman of Amarillo.

Also surviving him are four siblings: Martha Alexander Schubert of Sweetwater, Texas; Bonnie Alexander Lesley of Waco, Texas; Patsy Alexander Lesley of Houston, Texas; and Alvin Travis Alexander and his wife Brenda of Hurricane, Utah.

His numerous nieces and nephews are David Birdwell and his wife Linda Boles of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Carol Birdwell Abernathy and her husband Mike Abernathy of Sweetwater, Texas; Bruce Darrell Lesley and his wife Lisa Lacasse of Bethesda, Maryland; Gayla Lesley of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Renee Lesley of Houston, Texas; Lana Lesley of Austin, Texas; Jill Alexander Peyton and her husband Bret Peyton of Gig Harbor, Washington; and Greg Alexander and his wife Tanya of Fargo, North Dakota.

Richard Alexander loved his family, loved his country, and loved people. He was a great story-teller, recounting the stories and events of his many, many years and the thousands of people he knew. He enjoyed teasing us all and entertaining the children, pulling quarters out of their ears, to their amazement. He was always in charge of making the fruit salad at Christmas. Because he was grown before the last three children were born, he served in the role of parent and mentor to his brothers and sisters as much as possible. We remember his telling us never to miss a day of work if we could help it and never to miss a family reunion---because, he said, they might figure out they don't need you. He spoke little of his war experiences, but he was very proud of his service and he was aware that he was one of the few remaining veterans of World War II. He was a life-long, passionate Democrat, and he worked untiringly for candidates at every level for most of his adult life. He did that because he understood the great value of the rule of law, democracy, freedom, and social justice.

His family, his friends, his work colleagues, and all his associates will miss him greatly.