John L. Alexanderson

John L. Alexanderson, 82, of Concord and Chatham, MA, passed away on May 14, 2021. Born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of the late Dorothea Smith (Ranken) Alexanderson and Commodore Leroy Alexanderson (Rear Admiral USNR), John will be forever missed by his beloved wife of nearly 60 years, Nancy (Baier) Alexanderson, his son, Scott Alexanderson, and his partner, Allyson Baugham, and his daughter, Whitney (Alexanderson) Heavey, and her husband, Frank Heavey, and his granddaughters, Grace and Maddie Heavey, who lovingly referred to him as "Papa." He is survived by his sisters, Barbara Helmus of Garden City, NY and Linda Butler of Charlottesville, VA, and many adoring nieces and nephews.

John grew up in Brooklyn and Garden City, NY and spent his summers at his grandmother's house in Brookhaven, where in high school began dating Nancy, who lived in neighboring Bellport. After graduating from Garden City High School in 1957, John attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, NY, on a full US Naval Reserve scholarship. To his fortune, Nancy attended Skidmore College in nearby Saratoga Springs. Upon graduating in 1961 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, John was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, married Nancy in Bellport, and immediately moved to Groton, CT to start submarine school. John served for 5 years, most notably as navigator of the USS Sam Houston, a nuclear-powered Polaris submarine. We will forever miss hearing his adventurous submarine stories that he told always for entertainment, never for self-pride. After serving in the Navy, John began his career in business, most notably working for nearly 30 years at Digital Equipment Corporation where he rose through the ranks to become a Vice President in Marketing. While at DEC, he earned a Masters in Education from Boston University.

John was one of the good guys. Always kind and friendly, he greeted you with a warm smile as if you had known him for years. A generous person, John loved to make others happy. John's mother always hosted the extended family for Christmas, so when his beloved mother was diagnosed with cancer, John treated the family to Christmas in Woodstock, VT. Spending Christmas in Woodstock became a memorable family tradition for nearly 20 years. John's photography captured so many wonderful family gatherings and cherished portraits of family and friends alike. In later years, he donated 8 gallons of blood to Emerson Hospital, an achievement for which he was proud. John had a big heart and a unique warmth that made him adept at connecting with people.Above all, John loved his family. A humble, smart man, he touched the lives of so many people and will be remembered for his kindness, positivity and generosity. We will forever miss his enthusiastic greetings.

No services are planned at this time. Concord's town flag will fly at half-staff on Monday, June 28, 2021 in honor of John's dedicated service in the Navy.

In lieu of flowers, donations in John's memory may be made to Expect Miracles Foundation to support cancer research: 89 South Street, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02111 http://bit.ly/InMemoryofJohnA or to Emerson Hospital, 133 ORNAC, Concord, MA 01742 https://www.emersonhospital.org/support-emerson/donate-now. To donate blood in John's memory, https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html