Colleen Alexander, Montco leader
Colleen S. Alexander, 89, of Wyndmoor, a leader of the Democratic Party in Montgomery County and an active party worker long before women routinely took that path, died Saturday, Jan. 9, at Cathedral Village of congestive heart failure.
Colleen S. Alexander, 89, of Wyndmoor, a leader of the Democratic Party in Montgomery County and an active party worker long before women routinely took that path, died Saturday, Jan. 9, at Cathedral Village of congestive heart failure.
Women are eminently suited for "the great game of politics," Mrs. Alexander told the Chestnut Hill Local in 1968.
"I'd like to see more women involved in all aspects of politics," she told the paper. "We're naturals! From our homes we have more contact with the community than men. Usually, we have more knowledge of what's taking place in our immediate area. I think we ought to put this to work."
Taking her own advice, Mrs. Alexander went door to door, registering citizens to vote - both Democrats and Republicans, she told the paper. She was especially intent on signing up young adults and blacks.
"People who are not participating are dealing themselves out of our society," Mrs. Alexander told the paper. "I want people to deal themselves in. The first step is registering, the second voting."
Mrs. Alexander's concern for people and their problems led her to politics, starting in 1951, when she moved to Wyndmoor from Drexel Hill. Her early years were spent in Philadelphia.
She served at various times as state committeewoman from the 17th Senatorial District; president of the Democratic Women of Legislative District 154, which at the time included Cheltenham, Jenkintown, and Springfield Township; and recording secretary and vice chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee.
Later, she served two terms as chair of the committee, from 1975 to 1982 and again from 1989 to 1994. In the latter case, the party's executive committee broke new ground by electing two women to share the job of leading the local party.
Mrs. Alexander, then 62, and by that time a veteran of county politics, shared the job with Felice Wiener, a relative newcomer from Lower Merion.
From 1994 to 2005, Mrs. Alexander was the paid Democratic jury commissioner for Montgomery County. She received numerous citations and awards from the state as well as the Democratic Party.
Former U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz said Mrs. Alexander was a strong force in beginning the shift in the county's majority voter registration from Republican to Democratic.
"Her strong commitment to Democratic values, her willingness to push the status quo, and her understanding that change requires action from each of us drove her every day for years to take on the responsibilities for the party," Schwartz said.
Born in Philadelphia, Mrs. Alexander graduated from Overbrook High School in 1942 and attended the University of Wisconsin for three years. She was president of Approved Products, a family-owned cosmetic and health-care products business in Oaks, from 1964 to 1990.
She was active in Women for Greater Philadelphia for 40 years, and was a dedicated supporter of the Laurel Hill Mansion in Fairmount Park. In 2006, the Fairmount Park Commission honored her for 30 years of volunteer service.
She retired a decade ago when her vision began to fail. "The first thing she did when she moved to Cathedral Village was to set up a voters drive," said her son, David E.
In a tribute, her family said Mrs. Alexander was "a feminist before many even knew the term."
"Many will remember her big hats, outspoken manner, and big heart. She saw the best in everyone and always gave 110 percent. The energy she had was amazing and contagious. She will be deeply missed," her family said.
Besides her son, Mrs. Alexander is survived by daughters Miriam Karacek, Barbara, and Elizabeth Brown; five grandchildren; and a brother. She was married for 35 years to Larry Alexander. The two divorced in 1981. He died in 2014.
A celebration of Mrs. Alexander's life will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31, at Cathedral Village, 600 E. Cathedral Rd. Burial was private.
Donations may be made to the Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, Ala. 36104, or via www.splcenter.org; or to Women for Greater Philadelphia, 520 Walnut St., Suite 1150, Philadelphia 19106, or via www.womenforgreaterphiladelphia.org.
610-313-8102