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Ann McConnell Alexander
April 23, 1945 ~ September 26, 2021
Ann McConnell Alexander was born April 23, 1945 at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia to John and Ann McConnell. She spent her early years in Georgia, Ohio, and New York. She attended MacMurray College in Illinois and completed her undergraduate and masters in physical therapy at New York University. She then entered the United States Air Force and achieved the rank of captain. While serving, she met her husband, Jack Alexander. After their son Matthew was born in Germany, they returned to Lake Burton and her family's camp, Camp Cherokee. She served for many years as a camp director and taught hundreds of girls how to swim, water ski, and believe in themselves. As a physical therapist who both practiced privately and worked for Habersham Medical Center, she provided home health therapy, logging thousands of miles in Habersham and Rabun Counties. Along with her husband Jack, she traveled widely with a close group of friends. Ann never missed a chance to socialize with friends and family and one of her many talents was being a great cook and hostess.
As an active member of Faith Lutheran Church in Cleveland she served on multiple committees. Her faith led her to serve as a volunteer at the soup kitchen, Meals on Wheels, Helping Hands Clinic, Family Promise, Red Cross, and other charitable organizations. As a therapist and later as a volunteer she never met a stranger, and with her laughter and sense of humor, she brightened people's lives. Her granddaughters, Lucia, a senior at Tallulah Falls School, and Sophia, a second year student at Georgia Tech, were a source of great pride and love. She was lovingly referred to as “Nilla” by her grandchildren, relatives, and those closest to her. She shared her life’s experiences with the younger generations of the McConnell family and instilled a love of nature and God in them.
She was preceded in death by her parents John and Ann McConnell, brother Ross McConnell, and her husband of 46 years Jack Alexander.
She is survived by her son Matthew, daughter-in-law Rebecca, granddaughters Sophia and Lucia Alexander of Clarkesville, niece Ellen, grandnephews Will and Cannon Graham, nephew John, his wife Natasha and grandnephews Liam, Gavin, and grandnieces Corinne and Vera McConnell and great great grandniece Elara. Ann Alexander’s service will be at Faith Lutheran Church in Cleveland on Sunday, October 3, 2021 at 5:00 PM. Visitation will be at the church, prior to the service from 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations be made to Family Promise of White County ( https://fpwh.org/how-family-promise-works/) in memory of Ann Alexander.
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Bob Jacobs
The following information and addition to our In Memory page was supplied by Kay LaPrade.
Ann McConnell was a member of our Class, although she moved away before our graduation. Ann's father, John McConnell was a counselor at Woodward. He moved his family, which included Ross McConnell, Class of 1961, to Cincinnati from Georgia.
Kay LaPrade (Marchioni)
When her father relocated the family from Georgia to Woodward, where he was a counselor, Ann and her brother Ross enrolled as new students at Woodward. Knowing no one, Ann kept her balance and her optimism. She was beautiful, intelligent, vivacious, self-assured and focused. As Juniors, she and I were chosen to distribute diplomas at the Senior 1961 class graduation at Music Hall. We hoped we wouldn't drop the baskets of diplomas while we walked down the many steep steps of the risers on the stage. Fortunately, we didn't lose one diploma. We kept in touch all these years. I will always remember Ann with a smile on her face, eyes sparkling, her cheerfulness lighting up each day.