Reverend William Alexander

Reverend William E. Alexander

Waynesville, Reverend William E. "Bill" Alexander passed away on Sunday, February 10, 2019 at his residence following an extended illness.

Bill was the son of the late Jeane Culp Alexander and William Reid Alexander.  In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his younger brother, Carlton Alexander.

The Alexander children were raised in Charlotte.  Upon graduation from high school in 1961, Bill attended Erskine College in South Carolina, graduating in 1965 and continuing on to Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.  After Bill’s seminary graduation in 1970, he moved to Orlando, Florida where he became the Associate Pastor for Education at Park Lake Presbyterian Church.

In 1974 Reverend Alexander was sought after to open and become Executive Director of The Infant Childcare Center at First Presbyterian of Orlando.  The program that he developed there and directed for the next 30 years received national recognition for its unique approach to quality Christian childcare.  His was a life devoted to ministry of the young child.

Civil rights for minorities was another of Bill Alexander’s intense interests.  One of the highlights of his life was that he marched alongside Martin Luther King in the 1965 historic civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery.  Even as a young man, he was passionate about his conviction of justice for all.

In 2008, Bill left Central Florida for the mountains of Western North Carolina.  In his ten years here, he has made many friends and has been an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville.  He was beloved by many friends and will be remembered by all for his colorful stories, wonderful sense of humor and dedication to helping those in need.

Bill is survived by his sister, Joy Lee Eppes, her husband, William Eppes, of Asheville, North Carolina, their son, Ryan Eppes, of Plainville, Massachusetts; Carlton’s wife, Betty Alexander, of Southern Pines, North Carolina; several cousins in the Charlotte area, and many friends who loved him.

A Celebration of Bill’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 23, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church, Waynesville, North Carolina.

Memorial gifts may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Waynesville, 305 N. Main Street, Waynesville, NC 28786.

The care of Reverend Alexander has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Homes and an online memorial register is available at “Obituaries” at www.wellsfuneralhome.com