Dr. William Peddie Alexander, 90, of Edinboro, PA died April 25, 2018. He was known by his friends as Bill. He lived a full life, a life of which he can justifiably be proud. He focused on the great loves of his life, which were his wife Mary, composing in his unique style, developing the music department at Edinboro University, and working on his flower gardens. He designed the house he had built in 1962, and maintained a beautiful grassless garden yard for many years.
Bill completed his bachelor's degree at Central Missouri College in 1949, majoring in music. He earned his M.A. in 1951 and his Ed.D. in 1957 from the School of Music, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. In graduate school, he was a student of Roy Harris, then composer in residence, and contemporary of Aaron Copland.
Bill began his academic career at Shepherd College, in West Virginia, as assistant professor of music and art. He joined Edinboro University in January 1962 and retired in January 1986 after 24 years of dedicated service. While at Edinboro, he was professor of music history and composition and organized the first cultural series. He served two terms on the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts and was a member of the Erie Philharmonic board. He was a member of several evaluation teams for public and private colleges. He was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the American Music Center, and the Nature Conservancy.
Under the presidency of Chester T. McNerney, the Edinboro University music department grew substantially, as did the cultural series Bill started in the early 1960s. By the end of the decade, the music department was offering B.A., B.S., and M.Ed. degrees.
Bill's final act was to give all that he had to Edinboro University. The university expressed gratitude, stating: As founder and chair of and ultimately Professor Emeritus of the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Music Department, music history and composition, Dr. William P. Alexander and his spouse Mary A. Alexander (M.Ed. '65) have established a permanent endowment for a music series performed by professional symphony orchestras, including the Erie Philharmonic, chamber ensembles, and opera companies. As a recognized and gifted composer, one concert each year will feature a composition by Dr. Alexander for this minimum two-concert series presented on the campus of Edinboro University.
After retiring from the university, Bill maintained social ties with his fellow faculty, especially by eating lunch regularly together on the campus. He helped outfit the marching band with appropriate Scottish gear for Edinboro football games, which he loved to attend. He also enjoyed watching college football on television. Until the last few years, he spent much of his time in retirement writing new works for both orchestra and small ensembles. In the last few years, when his health waned, he had to end his energetic walks around the campus. He became less mobile and required assistance. The family is grateful for the services of Leslie Oster, who lived with Bill during his final two years and made his life more enjoyable.
Bill's compositions have been performed by numerous university performers in addition to such professionals as the Huntingdon Trio, Pittsburg Symphony, Estria Wind Quintet, Musica Nova, Erie Philharmonic, York Symphony, Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, Cambridge Trio, US Navy, Army and Air Force Bands. His main joy was that his compositions have been played and enjoyed by national and international audiences. He never wavered in his love for the University arts program. In fact, he asked to have his final wishes remembered: "I hope Edinboro survives and thrives, and I hope they reinstate the music major."
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