Hubert L. Alexander

Hubert L. Alexander Sr., age 74, of Saginaw, Michigan, passed away on April 2, 2024 surrounded by family and listening to oldies.

Hubert was born in New Albany, Mississippi to Royston and Ruby (Strong) Alexander on November 23, 1949. As a young boy his family joined the great migration north to seek better opportunities and work towards cementing a legacy unencumbered by the limitations imposed by racial segregation in the south. This journey brought them to Saginaw, Michigan where his family would establish and deepen its roots in the community in the decades that followed. He was an inquisitive child and often sought to understand the logic and reason behind what was taught. This made for an interesting, and mildly entertaining, experience for a young man being raised in the church. He was a classically trained pianist who achieved notable honors and assisted in the training of future musicians under the tutelage of Riley Dennett. In 1967 he graduated from Saginaw High School.

After high school he enrolled at Delta College to pursue a variety of learning interests. His college studies were cut short when he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War in 1970. He would return from this conflict a changed man. This experience would shape his life permanently and was a catalyst for his staunch belief in active citizenship. In 1972 he was honorably discharged and recognized for his service as a Specialist Four in the United States Army.

Hubert returned to Saginaw after the war and worked for General Motors while starting a family with his wife Josephine (Johnson) Alexander. In the midst of starting a family and working he successfully completed an Associate in Applied Science in Law Enforcement in 1974 from Delta College. He remained at General Motors until an opportunity presented itself to become a Firefighter for the City of Saginaw. He was a proud member of the Firefighters union and served in his role as a first responder for over 20 years. His children reaped the benefit of a welcome community and the most exciting career day speaker being their dad. In his service, Hubert saved many lives and preserved all that he could for his community members in their time of need.

Upon reaching the ripe retirement age of 49, he hung up his hat and decided to explore the other side of labor – rest. For him, retirement meant learning more about himself as a farmer, chef and artist. He remained an incredibly well read human – and valued time spent at the public library exploring new ideas and reducing the temptation of adding one more permanent book to his already extensive literary collection. In 2001 he would complete an additional Associate Degree in the Arts from Delta College. He was also an avid animal lover. He would utilize live traps to catch woodland animals who lost their way into his garden. Above all else, he had an abiding love of cats – specifically Siamese cats. There was never a decade of his life where he wasn’t the proud parent of a cat. He loved cooking, specifically grilling. He would grill every chance he got and loved to entertain his children and grandchildren for a hearty cookout. Later in life he would experiment with baking but ultimately left satisfying the sweet tooth he swears he never had (but definitely indulged regularly) to professional bakers whom he happily offered his patronage. He spent his 25 years of retirement living the quiet life he hoped for and evolved in the best of ways along the journey.

He is survived by his daughters and son, Adora Niketa (Dusko) Ladisic of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Crystal Rae Alexander of Lansing, Hubert L. (Lauren) Alexander Jr. of Redlands, California, Andrea Rose Alexander of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Breannah Ruby (Clayton) Alexander Oppenhuizen of Los Angeles, California, and Florence Josephine Alexander of Saginaw; grandchildren Cedrick Maurice Thomas, Jared Orion Alexander, Christian Ameer Farmer, Camryn Marika Ladisic, Micah Donovan Alexander, Makayla Katherine Alexander, Simon Hubert Oppenhuizen, Alba Constance Oppenhuizen, and Jacqueline Kendall Oppenhuizen; and beloved sister Cathy A. (James) Bradford of Smyrna, Tennessee. He also leaves behind fur family, his cat Smokey “Bent Broken Tail;” grand-furbabies, Leonidas, Cleopatra, Brooklyn, Chloe, Sebastian and Poo. He was preceded in death by his parents Royston and Ruby Alexander; son, Hubie (Jen) Alexander; and grandson Kendrick Dujaun Thomas.

A private memorial barbecue to celebrate Hubert’s life will take place for immediate family at a later date. For those wishing to honor his memory the family would like to ask that you consider making a donation to your local Humane Society. Additionally, we ask that, in a moment like this one, you use your voice to advocate for an end to wars and the funding of them – we witnessed firsthand the lifelong impact war has on those involved.