Alex was a celebrated athlete. He began playing organized sports early, including baseball, football, and basketball. In addition to school sports, Alex played AAU basketball, MSA baseball, and played on travel teams. Alex earned varsity letters at both Bedford (football and baseball) and Pioneer (baseball) High Schools. Additionally, he volunteered as an assistant baseball coach at Slauson Middle School. Alex began working at the University Of Michigan Hospital through Ann Arbor Pioneer High School’s Health Sciences and Technology Program in early 2007. He was a proud graduate of Ann Arbor Pioneer High School.
Alex turned down the offer of a scholarship as a bullpen catcher at Wayne State University to pursue a medical career, attending Eastern Michigan University, where he earned his BS degree in Biology (Chemistry minor), followed by a BS degree in Nursing from Mercy College of Ohio.
Throughout his time in school, Alex worked full time in the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan Medicine. For ten years, he worked with every population of psychiatric patients, touching many lives along the way. After graduating from Mercy College of Ohio, he began his nursing career in the Adult Bone Marrow Transplant unit at Michigan Medicine. He stayed there for 18 months, spending much of his first year as a nurse redeployed on the COVID units. He transitioned to the Neurosurgical ICU in February of 2021, where he was enjoying learning a new skill set. While working on the adult inpatient psychiatric unit, he met Alli Kosaian; they were later married on August 17, 2019 in Ann Arbor.
Over the course of his career at Michigan Medicine, Alex received many Making a Difference employee recognition awards from patients and colleagues, as well as multiple Daisy award nominations from patients and their families for providing outstanding patient care. In addition to his passionate care of patients as a Registered Nurse, Alex had a love of reading, journaling, learning, and spending time with friends and family. He enjoyed all things outdoors, especially walks in local parks. Alex loved animals of all kinds, baking from an early age, and was an automobile enthusiast. Alex competed at the amateur level in 5K road races and a Tough Mudder event. He was a regular at his local Powerhouse gym. Later in his adulthood, he found meditation, yoga, and rock climbing as passions. He also enjoyed starting his own mini garden on the patio of their home. Alex was an incredibly devoted husband, son, brother, and friend, as well as feline father to Rajah and Luna, whom he described as his "baby girls."
Alex is survived by his loving wife, Alli (nee Kosaian); mother and stepfather Pamela (nee Wasil) and David Sargent; father and stepmother, Daniel Tolly and Anne Perigo; brother, Mitchell Tolly; grandmother, Carol Tolly; step-siblings, David, Michael, and Paul Sargent, and William Wolf; step-grandparents Grace Jean Sargent and Donald and Giannine Perigo; father- and mother-in-law Paul & Joann Kosaian, sisters-in-law Analee Slick & Katherine Cordwell; brothers-in-law Andrew Slick & Jack Kosaian, as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Alex was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, David Tolly, maternal grandparents, George and Helen Wasil, aunt Karen Wasil, and step-grandfather Alonzo Sargent.
A memorial gathering of family and friends for Alexander will be held Saturday, July 10, 2021, from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM at Muehlig Funeral Chapel, 403 S 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, followed by a eulogy from 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Alexander's memory may be made to the Child and Adolescent Inpatient Psych Unit: victors.us/alexandershaynetolly
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.muehligannarbor.com for the Tolly family.
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