Alexander, Michael Van Cleave

Michael Van Cleave Alexander, 85, of Christiansburg, VA, died on September 25, 2023, at Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg. He was born December 24, 1937 in Chapel Hill, NC to Marion and Mildred (Lasater) Alexander. Because he was born at home on Christmas Eve after his siblings had gone to bed, his sisters persisted in believing in Santa Claus for many years.

He grew up in Chapel Hill with his three siblings Derith, Doris, and Marion. He attended the Episcopal Chapel of the Cross, where he served as an acolyte and was active in the young group. At Chapel Hill High School, he was on the swim team and graduated president of his senior class.

Michael studied history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, first as an undergraduate (graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts), and then as a doctoral candidate in seventeenth century English history. His dissertation was published by the University of North Carolina Press and Macmillan in London. In the 1970s Michael spent several extended periods conducting research in the UK as a Fulbright Scholar. While in London, he purchased antiques for a Durham store, an activity that developed into a life-long interest in furniture and paintings. In Chapel Hill he found time to direct the town’s duplicate bridge group.

Upon completing his Ph.D., Michael moved to Blacksburg, VA to join the faculty at Virginia Tech’s Department of History, where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses while continuing his academic research. His published works include his study of Sir Richard Weston, a biography of Henry VII, and a treatise on the English educational system in the Elizabethan and early Stuart periods.

In Blacksburg, Michael met Ann Barton Field, who was also teaching history at Virginia Tech. They married in 1971 in Richmond, VA and had two sons, Michael and Peter. In 1981 the family moved to a house on West Main Street in Christiansburg, where Michael and Ann would reside for over forty years. Michael was a devoted husband and father, as well as a long-time member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, where he served on the vestry and led a major expansion of the parish hall. His hobbies included growing and arranging flowers, playing bridge, lifting weights, and listening to classical music.

During retirement Michael enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren James, Mary, and Joshua, and writing historical fiction. He is survived by his wife Ann, sister Doris Blazer of Greenville, SC (Phil), brother Marion Alexander of Annapolis, MD (Ellen), sons Michael (New York, NY) and Peter (Durham, NC), daughters-in-law Sarah and Krista, along with many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Derith.

A memorial service will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church (103 East Main Street, Christiansburg, VA) on Saturday, October 28 at 11:00 AM. The family is grateful to those who cared for him in his last months, especially the nurses and staff at the Kroontje Health Care Center at Warm Hearth Village and the nurses and chaplain at plain at Medi Home Health and Hospice.