Benjamin M. Alexander

Benjamin Mortimer Alexander was born on the 6th of October 1960, in Laredo, Texas to Maurice M. and Aurora G. Alexander. His parents were native Laredoans, and his father and paternal grandfather were owners and officers of the Laredo National Bank.

Ben was the fifth child, the only son, and a month premature. The family was delighted to welcome a son and a brother at long last.

Ben was a mischievous little boy who relished catching snakes, climbing the backyard mesquite tree, and, to the misfortune of passing motorists, lobbing oranges at unsuspecting cars. He kept a rotating cast of unlikely pets over the years, among them javelinas, a flock of roosters, and a seagull named Skippy Murdoc, whom he named in honor of Doctor Murdoc, a large and well-regarded sheepshead who was a frequent visitor to Jim’s Pier on South Padre Island. Asked as a boy what he wanted to be when he grew up, Ben is said to have answered “a dog” or “an airplane,” proof that from the beginning, he set his ambitions higher than most. One of his favorite pastimes was watching the local trains pass by with his maternal grandfather, David O. Gallagher, former Chief of Police in Laredo. He attended Ryan Elementary School and St. Joseph's Academy and later went to San Antonio to graduate from the Texas Military Institute, as his father before him, excelling in academics and lettering in varsity football.

For college, Ben attended the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania, where he double majored in finance and entrepreneurial management. With his Wharton degree in hand, he moved to New York City and landed a prestigious position with Shearson Lehman Brothers. Later, to further enhance his financial skills, he left NYC to attend the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his MBA and received the Sord Scholar Award.

Ben worked for several years for the Bass family in Fort Worth and later returned to NYC for additional financial and investing experience. After working at Mitchell Hutchins, he inevitably found his way home and established his own wealth management company in Houston.

While Ben was attending the University of Texas, he met his soul mate, Frances “Lovie” Haden, at the 606 Bar, a popular collegiate hangout. They were married on the 20th of March 1993. The happy couple bonded over their many common interests and shared values. Together they enjoyed many outdoor sports, especially upland bird and deer hunting and fishing. They traveled near and far to pursue these activities, hunting at nearby south Texas ranches, bird hunting in Canada and the Dakotas and fishing at their bay home in Port O’Connor, Panama, and Costa Rica. Beyond being spouses, they were best friends, sharing a love of hunting and fishing side by side, with their loyal English setters who faithfully accompanied them on every journey.

Beyond his love of the outdoors, Ben had a deep appreciation for beauty and fine craftsmanship. He carefully curated an extensive collection of fine wines and took great pride in his impressive assortment of ornately engraved shotguns. Ben treasured intricate, well-crafted things, believing their value never diminished with time. He had a particular affection for the older, finer things in life - a quality perhaps best illustrated by the sight of him zipping around town in his perfectly immaculate 1984 BMW. Ben and Frances were blessed with a loving son, Wesley Haden Alexander, on the 17th of October 2001. Wesley embraced his parents’ various interests, but not without adding his own distinct, creative spirit. He currently resides in Austin, where he, much to his parents’ delight, has found success running a quickly growing advertising agency.

Ben will be remembered as a man of deep integrity and intellect, who approached every aspect of his life with discipline, purpose, and commitment. He lived a structured and disciplined life, but never one without joy or a deep appreciation for beauty. Perhaps it is this softer side of Ben that is most beautifully reflected in the countenance of his son, Wesley. He will be greatly missed by his family and close friends.

He is survived by his wife and best friend, Lovie; son, Wesley; four sisters, Dr. Maureen Alexander, Rosalind Kokolis (George), Phyllis Terry (Bill) and Gail Alexander Davis (Ross); and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The family extends its gratitude to Ben’s excellent physicians, nurses and staff at MD Anderson, including Dr. Gregory Kaufman and Dr. Neeraj Saini. Ben’s family also wishes to thank Dr. Samir Parekh at Mount Sinai in NYC.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 9th of September, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 10th of September, at the Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard in Houston, where the Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill is to officiate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to held in the adjacent Sumners Hall.

For those unable to attend, you may join via livestream by visiting his online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com and select the “Join Livestream” icon in the service information section.

Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the Richard M. Kleberg, Jr. Center for Quail Research or to MD Anderson Cancer Center, for Lymphoma & Myeloma Research.

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