Martin Alexander was born into a hard-working, proud immigrant family on February 4, 1930. He was the youngest of three children born to Mayer and Sarah Alexander. They lived above the clothing store his parents owned and operated in Newark, New Jersey. Martin graduated from Weequahic High School, a school of which and teachers of whom he had strong positive memories. After-school instruction in Yiddish became the foundation for a lifelong passion for that language of Jews originating in Eastern Europe. HaShomer HaTzair was a youth group that nourished his interest in Israel throughout his adolescence.
Martin attended Rutgers University, commuting over an hour each way daily to attend class.
He met Renee Wulf during his senior year, and they got married the summer after graduating in 1951. They were married for sixty-six years, and she survives him.
Martin studied bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin, where his mentor was P. W. Wilson. After earning his Ph.D., Martin and Renee moved to Ithaca in 1955 and bought a house on Christopher Circle. He assumed a professorship at Cornell University in the college of agriculture. Dr. Alexander's entire career was spent at Cornell, except for a sabbatical year at Hebrew University in Israel.
Martin's commitment to teaching undergraduate students was strong, as was his mentorship of graduate students from around the world. Dr. Alexander had wide-ranging research interests in soil microbiology and toxicology, which changed as new scientific issues arose over the years. He served on editorial boards of academic journals and on government panels. Late-career appointments included the E.P.A. and U.S. Army science advisory boards. Martin became the Liberty Hyde Bailey distinguished professor in 1977. He retired from Cornell in 2000, though his consulting work continued for another decade.
Dr. Alexander published a variety of works in his field. Monographs included two textbooks (1971, 1977), a research monograph (1999), and an edited series (1977-1981). He authored over five hundred technical papers and journal articles over his career, often sharing authorship with graduate and post-doctoral students.
Martin and Renee spent their retirement years in Ithaca and in Sarasota, Florida during the winter. His recreational activities included avid reading of history and listening to classical music.
Martin was predeceased by his brothers, George and Seymour. Surviving are his spouse, Renee, and two children: Miriam (spouse: Josh Hurewitz) and Stan (spouse: Catherine Grossman). Martin has grandchildren around the country: Anna and Maya Alexander raised in West Lafayette, Indiana and Laura, Jeremy, and Jonathan Hurewitz raised in Baltimore, Maryland. His great-grandchildren are Elisheva and Avigayil.
A funeral service is being held at Temple Beth El in Ithaca today (June 26th) at 1 p.m., followed by burial in Lakeview Cemetery. Visitation locally will be at 301 Winthrop Dr. this afternoon and evening (Tuesday), as well as tomorrow morning (Wednesday).
Donations in honor of Martin Alexander may be made to the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Annual Fund or to Temple Beth El. Arrangements are by the Bangs Funeral Home.
SERVICES Funeral Service
Tuesday, June 27, 2017 1:00 PM
Temple Beth-El 132 E. Court St. Ithaca, NY 14850
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