Lesley J Alexander

Lesley J Alexander, a longtime resident of Santa Barbara, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at the age of 94. Born Lesley Elizabeth Jones to Harold and Mary (Cover) Jones on June 8, 1925, in New York, she moved to California with her family as a young child. She earned her master’s in psychology at Stanford and later moved to Santa Barbara with her family in the early 1960s.

In Santa Barbara Lesley had a varied career as school teacher, real estate broker and property manager. She actively participated in the League of Women Voters and the Downtown Organization and was passionate about environmental and social causes. She had a lively and inquisitive mind with an interest in a wide range of subjects. Her particular passion was ceramics, and Lesley expressed her creativity as an accomplished potter.

Most of all, Lesley will be remembered as a kind and loving mother, sister, aunt and friend. Her vibrant personality touched all who knew her. Before she died she expressed her hope that each successive generation will grow wiser to create a world where all can thrive. She is survived by her children, Jane Alexander and Peter Alexander, her sister Barbara Coates, son-in-law John Flanagan, nephews Jim Coates and David Coates and nieces Lynne Coates and Carol Pauli, plus numerous grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her former husband Dr. Alec P Alexander.