THOMAS WALTER ALEXANDER
Thomas Walter Alexander “Tom” was born in Alameda, California to David Newell Alexander and Alma Louise Scheuermann on December 30, 1944.
He attended Franklin and Haight Elementary Schools in Alameda and Concordia High School in Oakland. He went to California Concordia College in Oakland for two years before transferring to Concordia Teachers College, Seward, Nebraska in 1964. Tom attended Hayward State in 1965 while he worked at Wards in Oakland. He returned to Concordia in Seward in 1966 and did his student teaching in the fall of 1966 in Lakewood, Colorado, completing his Bachelor of Science in Education degree in June 1967.
While at Concordia in Seward, he met his future wife, Janice “Jan” Prante, whom he married on June 22, 1968. Tom received a call as Teacher and Athletic Director at St. Peter Lutheran Church and School in Lodi where he taught elementary school and served in various capacities until 1982. He worked for the minor leagues, specifically the Dodgers, when they were in Lodi and wrote for the Lodi Sentinel sports column and Sporting News. He was Assistant Manager of Circulation for the Lodi News Sentinel for many years. He worked as Supervisor of Youth Sports for the Lodi Recreation Department and served as advisor of the Boosters of Boys and Girls sports (BOBS) for 17 years. Tom served as a football referee for high school football for over 35 years.
Tom loved model trains and often remarked proudly that a car never went into the garage. He delighted in going to hobby stores looking for a favorite special engine to add to his collection and often helped out at Railroad Junction in Lodi. He loved country and folk music from the 60’s and 70’s with John Denver, Credence Clearwater, and The Christy Minstrels being his favorite groups.
Tom retired at the end of 2007 and enjoyed volunteering as docent for the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento for several years. He enjoyed working the polls for the Election Committee for the San Joaquin County.
Tom is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jan Alexander; his son, David (Farrah) Alexander of Fernley, NV; and his daughter Lisa (Kacey) Osler of Meridian, ID. He has three granddaughters, Cadence Leigh Alexander, Bethany Grace Osler, and Kendra Osler. He will be missed by his sister, Sally Shepherd (Jim), his sister-in-law, Ellie Anderson (Glen), nieces Jamie Jyono (Mark) and Jennifer Kudelka (Lauri), and his nephew, Scott Shepherd (Brianne), and grand-nieces Jordyn Hummel, Keely Hummel, Peyton Diehl, and greatnephew, Drew Shepherd.
He is also survived by his best friend (almost a brother), William “Bill” Silveira (Donella) of Bakersfield, CA.
Tom suffered from a series of strokes and their consequences for 12 years and six months. He was lovingly cared for by staff at Arbor Nursing Care, Lodi for exactly two years before his passing on September 5, 2018 at 12:50 PM.
Funeral services will be held on September 27, 2018 at 3:00 at the Lodi Funeral Home 725 S. Fairmont Ave. Lodi, CA 95240. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Boosters of Boys and Girls Sports (BOBS) at PO Box 1600 Woodbridge, CA 95258 or to the donor’s choice.
Please sign the guest book at www.lodinews.com/guestbook.