As a NASA rocket scientist, Alexander was directly involved in the detailed planning anc
controlling of Apollo 11, which landed the men on the moon and is still considered to be one of the top technical feats in history. His expertise was orbital rendezvous, the bringing together of space vehicles in space, and he was known as “Mr. Rendezvous” to coworkers and managers. He helped develop algorithms and plans for rendezvous around the moon and the earth. Most notably, he worked with the Apollo 11 crew, particularly Buzz Aldrin, to define the rendezvous plan to return from the lunar surface back to the orbiting Command-Service Module. He also supported the other Apollo missions from the Mission Control Center in Houston and was involved in the design and management of the Space Shuttle and Space Station. He ended his highly-awarded 32-year NASA career in higher management. Shortly before retirement he was honored as Outstanding Citizen in the Johnson Space Center Community.
Alexander grew up on an oil field lease in White Oak. Following a highly-decorated four-sport career at White Oak High School, he attended Baylor on a football and track scholarship. He was part of Baylor’s first ever conference championship track teams in 1960 and 1962 while earning a Bachelor of Science in math-physics.
Alexander was selected to the Baylor Letterwinners’ Wall of Honor in 2005 due to “extraordinary recognition and honor brought to Baylor because of his space career and other lifetime achievements.”
In addition to his space and sports endeavors, he has been an amateur gospel quartet singer, a composer, and a poet. He is also an ordained Baptist deacon and was a Bible teacher and youth sports coach in earlier years.
Because of advanced heart disease, Alexander was told in his mid-30s that he would be fortunate to live to age 50, but thanks to God’s grace, great doctors, and incredible advancements in technology, he turned 80 on November 22.
Sandy, Alexander’s first wife, was also a White Oak and Baylor graduate. She lost her battle with cancer in 2000. Their daughter, Milli Jacks, is a Baylor University and Baylor Law School graduate. Milli’s husband, David, is a Baptist pastor. Their son, David Il, is a third generation Bear, as a current freshman, and their daughter, Laura, is a senior in high school.
Alexander and Sandy’s son, Greg, is a NASA computer scientist, and his wife, Cathy, is a music teacher and therapist. They have two daughters, Caitlin Vincent, mother of Alexander’s great-grandson, Zeke, and Megan, University of North Texas student, and a son, Jesse, David Alexander’s-namesake. Alexander and his wonderful second wife, Virginia, were married in 2003, and Alexander inherited two very special children, Ron and Julie, their spouses, four grandchildren.
