Carl Hamilton Alexander

He will be missed by many, especially the love of his life, Susan and all of his children, son Ryan and his wife, Mechelle, daughter Grace and her husband, Bryse, son Donnie and his wife, Kelly, and daughter, Shannon. Carl was a proud grandfather to Ryan, Tyler, Jacob, Marley, Alex, and Bailee. He was a beloved brother to Gene and his wife Jane and Peggy, and brother-in-law to Sheryl and Jay, Shirley and Dennis and Sara. Carl also leaves 20 nieces and nephews and six aunts and uncles who were all very special to him. Carl is preceded in death by his parents, James and Jean Alexander; his son, Robert Drawdy; and his best friend and brother-in-law, Ray Starling.

We announce this loss with deep sadness, but with immense pride of a life well lived. The Glynn County Police Department released the following and we cannot think of a better way to honor such a wonderful man than with the words of his beloved friends:

"Today was difficult for many of us at Glynn County Police Department as we lost not only a friend and mentor, but a true example of a gentleman. Retired Chief of Police and current Special Advisor Carl Alexander has passed away after a valiant and lengthy fight with a horrible disease. Though we know his battle is over, he has earned his reward in Heaven and the loving embrace of God.

Chief Alexander was born in Brunswick on May 19, 1948, and was raised on St. Simons Island. He was a 1966 graduate of Glynn Academy and later attended North Georgia College.

He began his lifelong career in public service with Glynn County Fire Rescue in 1970. In 1972, he donned the badge of the county police, thus beginning his lifelong journey. In 1974, he was named our Officer of the Year. In 1975, he transferred into narcotics and did extensive work in undercover operations locally, and throughout the State of Georgia, with the Ga. Bureau of Investigation, and in several states with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. During his tenure in the division, he was involved in a helicopter crash, which yielded a large seizure of narcotics. In 1981, he was awarded a Congressional Commendation for narcotics work.

In 1982, Carl transferred into the Investigations Division, before assuming command of the unit in 1985. He attended the prestigious FBI National Academy-Quantico and graduated as part of the 143rd session in December 1985. In 1986, Carl was promoted to Major and then in July of 1987 he was named Chief of Police.

During his tenure as Chief, he led the efforts to adopt a new retirement system for GCPD; this system was ultimately adopted county wide. He started the Drug Abuse Recognition Education or DARE program in Glynn County Schools, an initiative to educate our fifth and sixth grade children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Chief Alexander was an early leader in community based policing starting the Bike Patrol and Beach Patrol.

He made sure that the officers received proper credit for outstanding and meritorious performance in the line of duty by implementing an awards program for officers and staff.

Under his leadership, GCPD became the 14th nationally accredited agency in the state in 1994. In 1998, he led the agency to state certification, becoming the 29th out of more than 500 local agencies in the state.

His knowledge and experience were often called on by others as he was appointed by Governor Harris to the Organized Crime Prevention Council. Chief Alexander also served on the advisory board of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council. In addition, he served as an advisor to the Armstrong State Public Safety Training Center. He also was elected vice-president by his peer chiefs of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Chief Alexander modernized the county emergency radio system converting to the 800mhz system and also brought computer technology into the police vehicles. During his tenure, the current Glynn County Public Safety Complex was constructed.

Chief Alexander retired as Chief of Police from GCPD in July 2002.

He then was appointed Director of Security of Sea Island Company in July 2002 until his second retirement in February 2021. He led Sea Island during the G-8 Summit which ensured the safety and security of the Presidents and Prime Ministers of numerous countries.

In 2020, he answered the call to serve again for Glynn County and served as Chairman of the Police Advisory Panel. In February 2021, he returned to his beloved GCPD as Special Advisor. He served his home once again, bringing his total service to Glynn County to a remarkable 51 years.

In addition to his law enforcement contributions, he also served on the Glynn-Brunswick Hospital Authority beginning in 2004 and chaired the Authority from 2012-2015. He would chair Southeast Health System Inc. from 2016 through 2018. He resigned from the Glynn-Brunswick Hospital board in February 2020, but remained on the board of Southeast Georgia Health System Inc.

Chief Alexander led a remarkable life almost entirely here in the Golden Isles. He was a man of strong character and deep devotion to his lifelong profession. His direct leadership has impacted every aspect of the police department for 50 years and for countless years to come. His commitment to Glynn County has changed countless lives and led to his being honored by the county who renamed Public Safety Boulevard to Carl Alexander Way late in 2020.

So now, we shed a tear for our friend and thank the Lord for his healing. We mourn not only for the passing of our friend, but, for our loss of him, of his friendship, leadership, and his strong spirit which demanded all of us to be better police officers. We hope and pray in the days to come he will continue to guide us from above and when we meet again that he will tell each of us, one and all, how proud he is that we were a Glynn County Police officer.

So tonight, we offer a salute to our Chief, we say thank you for your service and thank you to Susan and his family for allowing us to have him in our lives these past 51 years."

In addition to the multiple accolades and achievements above, Carl was a member of many local organizations to which he was dedicated, such as the Two Way Fishing Club, The Supper Club and The Exchange Club. He was especially devoted to the Shivers Hunting Club in Burke County, Ga., where he spent every weekend he could with some of his best friends sitting on the porch, hunting and fishing.

Carl will leave a void in our family that will never be filled; including all of his friends he considered family. He was the cook of countless Alexander family reunions, the captain of family fishing trips, the man who could fix anything, a generational bee-keeper, the tailgate boss, the man everyone called for everything, a genuine example of southern hospitality and a damn good Dawg.

The celebration of Carl Alexander's life will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 20 on Hermitage Island Drive, in Brunswick, Ga., with a reception to follow. Southeast Georgia Health System will be providing masks.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Carl Alexander Memorial Fund, which will later be donated to the needs of the Glynn County Police Department, a department dear to his heart, at P.O. Box 21647, St. Simons Island, GA 31522.

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