Alice Elizabeth "Lib" Alexander

Alice Elizabeth Alexander, 85, passed away May 29 , 2012 in Bartow. Born October 8, 1926, in Tampa, Florida, “Lib” was the second child of James F. and Lucille L. Alexander. During the early 1930’s, Lib and her family moved from Tampa to Bartow to take up residence at the ancestral home of her mother, Lucille Lightsey Alexander. Upon graduation from high school and receiving a Masters Degree from Florida College for Women (now FSU), Lib lived most of her life in Gainesville, FL. During the Gainesville years Lib rose to the position of chief Librarian in charge of the University of Florida’s renowned P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History. She became well known to historians and students alike for the vast Florida collection that she built through careful selection of original maps, documents, manuscripts and ephemera that helped expand the knowledge of the history of the state of Florida. Lib also had a deep knowledge and love of the theatre, having received a second Masters’ Degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, during the 1950’s. Upon retirement from the University of Florida in the mid-1990’s, Lib first moved to Lakeland, and then a few years later, to Bartow to live next door to her sister, Sara Alexander Clements, and to be nearer to her family. She will be sorely missed by her nephews: Jeffrey L Clements, J. Daniel Clements and James F. Clements; her niece, Lucy Clements Lack; her grand-nephew James A. Clements; her grand-niece, Carole Lemly; her niece’s-in-law: Susan R Clements and Diane Clements; and nephew-in-law, Donald J Lack. Our Lib is remembered for her generosity to many people whose lives she touched along the way. Her family especially remembers her as our beloved aunt and wonderful friend whose sense of humor and way with words touched our lives in a unique and permanent way. Lib was known for her huge bank of pithy quotations from songs, jokes, poems and books, and she constantly amazed us with her knowledge and memory. Services will be held Saturday, June 2 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 500 W. Stuart Ave, Bartow, FL. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with services following at 11:00am in the church. In lieu of flowers, donations honoring her life may be sent to the Holy Trinity Memorial Garden Fund (PO Box 197, Bartow, FL 33831) or to Good Shepherd Hospice (Chapters Health System 12973 N Telecom Pkwy, Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33637).