Emil Paul Alexander of Morgantown passed away at his home surrounded by family on Jan. 24, 2024. He was 10 days shy of his 97th birthday. Emil was born Feb. 3, 1927, the son of the late Mike Alexander and Martha Peters Alexander.
He attended St. Francis Catholic School. He worked in the family business, Mike Alexander, and Sons alongside his father and two brothers. He enlisted in the Navy on Feb. 2, 1945, and served as a Seamen 1st Class on a destroyer tender. Emil married the love of his life, Virginia Mary Liberatore on Sept. 4, 1950. He was a lifelong devoted member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Elks Club. Emil’s greatest joy was his family whether by blood or assimilation and cherished any opportunity to be together. He never met a stranger and loved spending time camping and as a Boy Scout Troup Leader.
He loved spending weekends at the family lake house in Warm Hollow and boating on Cheat Lake. Emil was a proud Veteran and enjoyed the places he saw and the people that he met along the way because of that connection. He was a friend to all he knew and beloved by everyone he met. He always saw the good in people. He was as passionate about people as he was about spaghetti dinners and tootsie roll fund raisers. For over 20 years he enjoyed spending the winter months in Ft. Myers, Fla.
Emil is survived by his wife of 73 years, Virginia (Liberatore) Alexander; his children, Michael (Sue) Alexander, Patrick (Oceania) Alexander, Paulette Culton, all of Morgantown and Amy (Harry) Bracy of Columbia, S.C.; his grandchildren, Kristian Haines, Joshua (Stephanie) Alexander, Christopher (Caitlyn) Alexander, Samantha (Kevin) Salazar, Amanda Freels (Brad Heather), Angelo Soliveras, Emily (Paul) Lanphier, Annie Schenzel, Tyler (Jaclyn) Schenzel, Turner (Jade) Schenzel, Grant Culton, Garrett Culton, Bailey Colquitt and Sydney Colquitt; and 17 great-grandchildren. He is survived by two sisters, Delores Solomon, and Patty Liberatore.
In addition to his parents, Emil was preceded in death by his daughter, Theresa Alexander Schenzel, and son-in-law, Tyler August Schenzel; his son-in-law, Dean Culton; six siblings, George Alexander, John Alexander, Mary Deaton, Helen Shearer, Marguerite Reiner, and Emma Angotti.
Friends and family will be received at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, 3346 University Ave., Morgantown, from 5-8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, and again on Monday, Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. with Father John McDonough as celebrant. A private family committal service will take place at a later time at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens with full military funeral rites.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Ursula Food Pantry Outreach, P.O. Box 18, Pursglove, WV 26546 or The Pantry Plus More, 9 Rousch Dr., Morgantown, WV 26501.
Condolences:
hastingsfuneralhome.com
