Mary A.W. “Alex” Coleman
Aug 5,1922 - Sept 22, 2017
Alex Coleman, resident of Menlo Park, CA., departed her earthly life on September 22 at 1:40 PM. She passed away peacefully at home with her son, Winstead and, daughter, Mary at her bedside. She was ninety five. Alex, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, was also a loving wife to John C. Coleman from 1950 until John’s death in 1990 . She is survived by four children, Karen Newsom, of Portland OR, John Coleman of Napa CA, Winstead Coleman of Aptos CA, and Mary Way of Paradise Valley AZ; and by five grandchildren and seven of her eight great grandchildren.
Alex Coleman entered this world in Wilson North Carolina as Mary Alexander Wells on Aug 5 1922. She was the first born child of John David Wells, and Mary Shields Alexander Wells. Alex’s parents were both from old American lines. Her parents’ forbearers were among the earliest settlers in the British colonies of North Carolina and Virginia. Alex spent her childhood in Wilson NC where she attended and graduated from Charles L. Coon High School. After high school, Alex enrolled at St. Mary’s Episcopal Jr. College in Raleigh NC. Alex’s maternal grandmother had also attended and graduated from St. Mary’s. After graduating from St. Mary’s, Alex continued her college education in Chapel Hill, at the University of North Carolina. She majored in English and minored in Drama. Two years after entering UNC, Alex graduated with a bachelors degree.
After college, Alex taught 7th grade English in the towns of Washington N.C. and Swansboro N.C. for a couple of years and then moved to Richmond, Va. to work in creative advertising for Miller and Rhodes Department Store. Alex later left Richmond for St. Louis, MO to go to work for Women’s Wear Daily as a footwear fashion editor. It was in St. Louis where Alex was introduced to a man who had recently been assigned by his Employer, Magna Power Tools, to move from California to St. Louis. This man, John Coleman, would become Alex’s husband of forty years. The couple were married on May 6, 1950 in Littleton, North Carolina at an Episcopal Church where her beloved Aunt Angeline was an active member of the congregation. After a few years that saw them transferred to Ann Arbor, Michigan. and Cleveland Ohio, John had the good fortune of being transferred to the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park in 1952. John and Alex decided to make Menlo Park their final destination. John died in 1990. Alex never re married and chose to live out her life in the same home where she and John had lived and raised a family together.
Alex volunteered her time generously to multiple charitable causes and activities in the Menlo Park area. As an active member of the Woodside Atherton Auxiliary, Alex helped raise money for Stanford Children’s Hospital by devoting years of service to working at the Menlo Park Allied Arts Guild, co chairing the Tally Ho Horse Show, and playing a significant role on the Woodside Atherton Auxiliary’s membership committee. Alex was active in her local Chi Omega Alumni Chapter’s philanthropic causes, and enthusiastically participated in their efforts to help deserving students receive scholarship funding. Among her many other volunteer contributions to her community, Alex steadfastly did volunteer work to deliver meals to house bound seniors, served as the President of the Parent/Teacher Association at Trinity Parish Day School, volunteered as a teacher’s assistant at a local grade school and donated her teaching talent to help children in East Palo Alto develop better reading and writing skills . Alex was a devoted parishioner of St. Bedes and St. Mark’s Episcopal Churches, where she worked in numerous volunteer capacities from teaching Sunday School, to working at rummage sales. She worked for decades as part of the St. Bede’s Alter Guild. Alex committed her life to Christian values. Most of all, Alex was an adoring mother and wife. She loved and was loved by her family, friends and neighbors. She maintained life long friendships from all stages of her life. She leaves behind a life’s legacy of caring about and giving to others. She will be missed by all those whose lives she touched.
A Celebration of Alex’s life will be held at St Bede’s Episcopal Church in Menlo Park on Dec 9 at 2:00 PM. The family encourages all to attend. A reception at the church’s Parish Hall will follow. The family requests that in lieu of flowers you make contributions in her memory to St Bede’s Episcopal Church Menlo Park, or The Coleman Family Scholarship Fund Whitman College, Walla Walla WA.