Colleagues,

Long-time supporter and patron of UTC, Frances Alexander, died
yesterday at her home on Lookout Mountain. A memorial service will be
held here on campus at Patton Chapel on Wednesday, January 9, at 1 pm.

The following obituary written by Frances's long-time friend and
former Chattanooga Times editorial writer Pat Wilcox will appear in
tomorrow's (Tuesday) Chattanooga Times Free Press.

-kit

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Frances Alexander, long the voice of Tennessee American Water Company in this
community, died Sunday evening at her home on Lookout Mountain. She was 62.

Mrs. Alexander directed communications for TAWC, a subsidiary of American
Water Works Inc., for almost 25 years before illness forced her retirement in
1999. Upon her death, American Water Works president and CEO, J. James Barr,
said simply, "The world has lost a special person."

Richard T. Sullivan, now retired after 15 years as vice president and manager
of TAWC, said, "In the 40 years I worked for American Water Works, there's
nobody I admired more or enjoyed working with more than Frances. She kept
me straight."

Dave Schultz, regional vice president for American Water Works, also praised
Mrs. Alexander's professionalism but reserved his most heartfelt words for
her wisdom and spunk. "She taught me" he said, "that happiness is not the
absence of problems but the ability to deal with them. She had learned
about her illness, she was resigning the job she loved, and she was dealing
with it unbelievably well. She had a spirit each day that was something to
behold."

Johnnie Frances Alexander was born in Chattanooga in 1939. She dropped out of
high school to get married, had her children at an early age, and though she
passed her GED and college entrance exams, did not earn a college degree. She
nevertheless built a career that ultimately placed her among the top-ranking
women in Chattanooga's corporate community. She also became the second person
ever to be made an honorary alumnus of the University of Tennessee in
Chattanooga.

Mrs. Alexander started her career as a writer, submitting stories on
community events in North Georgia to The Chattanooga Times and later working
as a reporter for The Chattanooga Post. Publisher Ruth Holmberg remembers her
as a bright, engaging and energetic reporter. After The Post ceased
publication in 1970, Mrs. Alexander worked in television and advertising
before finding her niche at the water company. "She proved herself to be an
asset not just to the newspaper but to the community, and earned a high level
of respect in her career," Mrs. Holmberg said, noting, as well, that Mrs.
Alexander had published a novel, "On Tap," in 1989.

In 1999, Mrs. Holmberg and Mrs. Alexander were both inducted into Kappa Tau
Alpha, the UTC chapter of the International Journalism Honorary Fraternity.
The organization recognizes significant contributions to the profession of
journalism and to communications education.

"If there was one person who really spearheaded moving our communications
department into accreditation status," said department head Kit Rushing, "it
was Frances Alexander." As chair of the department's professional advisory
council, Mrs. Alexander shifted focus from discussing accreditation as a goal
to taking action, and she got the job done in two years time, Dr. Rushing
recalls. "She took charge and made things happen," he said.

Mrs. Alexander was subsequently chosen by the faculty for induction into
Alpha, the oldest honorary academic society at UTC, as well as being accorded
status as an honorary alumnus.

Mrs. Alexander is survived by her husband, Howard Alexander; two sisters,
Martha Adeline Cox of Huntland, TN, and Anne D. Pruett of East Ridge; three
sons, Rock Avery Thomas of Rising Fawn, GA, Clayton Dean Thomas of Memphis,
TN, and Stacy Jon Alexander of Lookout Mountain, GA; four step-children,
Anitra Elizabeth Alexander and Philip Howard Alexander, both of Birmingham,
AL, Annette Elizabeth Alexander Seeber of Rosewood, CA, and Nancy Nell
Alexander Storm of San Francisco, CA; 12 grandsons and several nieces and
nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the UTC Patten Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to
the J. Frances Alexander Scholarship Fund at UTC.
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