Alexander was born in Taradale, Hawkes Bay, and educated at Napier Boys High School and the Otago Medical School, graduating MB ChB in 1939. He was house surgeon at Wellington Hospital in 1940-1941. He served with the New Zealand Army Medical Corps 1942-1945 and was RMO to 8th Brigade in the Pacific and in the CCS. Later he was with a CCS in Italy with the rank of major. After the war he went to London as surgical registrar at the Royal Masonic Hospital, London, and became FRCS in 1946. He returned to New Zealand as surgeon superintendent of Thames Hospital but soon tired of this position. He returned to Napier in 1949 and started as a general practitioner surgeon. Soon he joined the staff of Napier Hospital as a visiting surgeon. He became FRACS in 1949. At that time Napier Hospital was a cottage hospital staffed by general practitioners. Alexander was one of a small group of younger doctors who persuaded the rest of the staff and the hospital board to develop the hospital to a general hospital with fully qualified specialists. He had a very wide range of ability; at the hospital as well as being general surgeon he was for 5 years an orthopaedist and continued to practise gynaecology, obstetrics and genitourinary surgery until he retired. When fibre optics came in he was the first to do gastroscopies in Hawkes Bay. In private he included general practice, surgery and obstetrics. On retiring from hospital at 65 he continued in general practice until he was 78, although he slowed down from advancing cancer of the prostate. Alexander was a quiet, even-tempered man who was quick to make up his mind and get on with the job. He was straightforward in expressing an opinion and a friendly and helpful colleague to work with. Although he never seemed in a hurry, his operating lists were renowned for being very long. As well as his heavy professional work, he found time to run two sheep and cattle stations and an orchard. He played a very significant part in the development of surgery in Hawkes Bay. He married June McCallum in 1941 and he is survived by five children. He died at his home in Napier on 13 March 1994, aged 79.