Roland Cecil Alexander, 91, of Springfield, MO passed away on Sunday, December 13, 2015. He was born October 20, 1924 in Springfield, MO, the son of William and Pansy (Danforth) Alexander. Roland married Sue Hare on August 20, 1950 and they had 64 wonderful years of marriage before Sue's death on December 18, 2014. He is survived by their four children, RC Alexander and wife, Josie, of Branson, MO; Rex Alexander and wife, Penny, of Springfield, Illinois; Linda Stufflebeam and husband, Jim, of Springfield, MO; and Carol Stephen and husband, Willie, of Nixa, MO. His grandchildren are Tracy Williams and husband, David; Bryan Alexander; Brittany Little; Blake Alexander; Matt Stufflebeam and wife, Ashley; Janelle Williamson and husband, Kyle; Luke Stufflebeam and wife, Sophia; Taylor Stephen; Makayla Stephen; and Landon Stephen. His great grandchildren are Emily Wagner; Madeline Williams; Grant Little; Ealand Stufflebeam; Brecken Stufflebeam; and Kennedy Williamson. Roland served in the U.S. Army Air Force as a Flight Engineer and earned the rank of Buck Sergeant. He flew air-sea rescue missions in Brazil. He acquired his private pilot's license and enjoyed flying a small airplane. Roland graduated from Southwest Missouri State College in 1950 with a BS in Education, majoring in Industrial Arts. He taught Industrial Arts, Math, and Mechanical Drawing in Urbana, MO for a couple of years. In 1953, he was employed by the Frisco Railroad. He worked his way up to Chief Draftsman, retiring in 1984. He also got his surveyor's license in 1960 and worked part-time doing surveying until 2001. Roland worked hard supporting his family, but also made a point to take them on many vacations. Family was a priority. He encouraged his children in their areas of interest. He was active with RC and Rex in scouts, sports, fishing, and camping; attended Linda's music concerts; and went to Carol's sports activities. He loved doing woodwork and was very talented, making many beautiful pieces of furniture and decorations for his family. He and his wife spent many of their retirement years traveling and hosting family events. Roland and Sue were members of Glenstone Baptist Church since 1953. He was the nursery coordinator for many years and was a deacon in charge of facilities and building renovations. Roland was loved and had a lasting impact on many lives. He will be greatly missed. Services will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 18, 2015 at Glenstone Baptist Church with Pastor Pat Ward and Rex Alexander officiating. Burial will follow in Danforth Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will be Thursday, December 17 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel.
