Marjorie (Adams) Alexander

Marjorie (Adams) Alexander passed away peacefully at home with family on December 1, 2025, following a long, courageous fight with multiple health challenges. She was born on December 30, 1936, in Philadelphia to A. Gordon Adams and Christine R. Adams. Marjorie graduated from Abington Friends School and subsequently attended Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, where she studied music theory and was a member of the “Wheatones” chorus. She was an accomplished classical musician who played the piano throughout her long life. While at Wheaton, she met her future husband, Knight, on a blind date arranged by friends and remained married to him for 55 years until his death in 2013.

Marge was an athlete and champion sailor from an early age. As a young woman, she placed at the top of the National Lightning Class Championships and the International Lightning Class Championships, as well as dominating in multiple regional races. Beginning in the 1950s as a teenage female skipper, she hauled her Lightning, “Whirlwind”, around the country to attend many regattas. After moving to Marblehead, MA, she continued to race in the Lightning class until she and her husband bought their custom sloop, “Windsong”, which they raced and sailed up and down the New England coast with Marge as skipper. Marge’s many trophies speak to her racing skills, but she also loved cruising with family and friends whenever possible, including bareboat cruising in the Caribbean or iceboat sailing in Maine. She loved Marblehead and, along with her husband, was a longtime member of Eastern Yacht Club while also enjoying time on Martha’s Vineyard, Sugarloaf Mountain in ME, and Captiva, FL.

Marjorie had many interests in the community and the arts. She partnered with other alumnae from Wheaton to raise funds through pecan sales as their treasurer and donated her time to her children’s schools. She attended classes at the Museum of Fine Arts, where she learned how to restore Colonial furniture with traditional designs and how to silkscreen her own Christmas cards. She also developed her knowledge of antiques and interior design and loved creating her gardens. These skills served her well when later she and her husband were able to build a unique, award-winning house.

After being sidelined due to an injury, Marge became an expert in needlepoint and created incredible numbers of finely done, complex needlework pieces on many subjects, especially focusing on the waterfowl that she loved to watch daily on the ocean and beaches. She was a steadfast daily walker and remained passionate about athletics, especially when cheering on her beloved Patriots. She was generous and devoted to her family and always took time to pick out the perfect gift for relatives or send holiday treats to her grandchildren. Marjorie was a supporter of many museums and organizations, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Essex Museum, Trustees of Reservations, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She was a champion who fought to the end with love and humor, and she will be greatly missed.

Marjorie is survived by her older brother, three of her four children. five grandchildren, a cherished great-granddaughter (with two more "greats" on the way), nieces and a nephew, as well as much-loved in-laws, spouses and fiancés of the above, and cousins and friends.

Services are private. Donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation or a charity of one’s choice.