I recently learned of the death of Jim Alexander, a long-time resident of the 200 block of West Washington Lane. What a loss! What a champion Jim was, enduring being short of breath for so long, yet keeping his spirits up to the extent that people wouldn’t even know that he was under such duress except for the oxygen bottle the he might be carrying.
I first got to know Jim in the late 60’s when I lived at 270 West Washington Lane and kept a 1947 Ford in what was then called “Bill Buck’s Garage.” It had some serious engine trouble, and I was quite discouraged, thinking I would have to scrap the car that I had had all my life, had driven all through high school and had courted my wife in. Yet the engine was a mess, and I wasn’t sure how even to think about working on it, not being able to afford the services of a mechanic and Buck wanting nothing to do with such an old vehicle.
Well, along came Jim Alexander who said, “I’ll help you and we can get it running in about two weeks. I can’t work on it a lot myself, but I can show you what to do and you can give me a shout if you have any trouble.”
Well that’s what happened. He told me what to do and I did it. We had the engine out at about a week. I was amazed: Jim knew everything: where to get parts for an old car, how they fit where they were supposed to go, and how long the whole job would take. He was phenomenal.
Also, as I remember, he wouldn’t let me pay him a single cent. He said he had enjoyed getting to know that engine as much as he would enjoy spending any money.
He and I saw each other quite a bit then over the years, sometimes as he walked a chubby female dog that he loved, sometimes as he rode a motorcycle around the block. I always thought of him as “The Best Mechanic in the World,” although he would always deny it.
It was no surprise to me either when I learned in later years that he was a mechanic for the Post Office, the person who kept letter-sorting machines in good shape. Yes, machinery that important and intricate was not a problem for Jim either. He was a versatile and amazing person. I will miss seeing him, and I am sure all those who knew him will miss him also.
Condolences from my wife Marjorie and myself to his wife, Denise, who faithfully served as WCGN’s treasurer for three years.
Luke Russell
