27 Oct A Century of Grit, Grace, and Golf: Celebrating Lee Carnot Alexander, Class of ’41
We’re not mourning a loss today, but celebrating a life—a truly monumental one. Lee Carnot Alexander, a proud alumnus of the Sayville High School Class of 1941, who passed away June 18, 2025. To simply say he lived a long life would be an understatement. Lee was 102 years old.
Think about that for a moment. 102 years. It’s a span of time that encompasses so much of our modern history. To live that long is a remarkable blessing, a testament to a strong mind, body, and spirit. But it also means you’ve had to say “goodbye” more times than anyone should. You’ve witnessed the passing of friends, classmates, teachers, and, in Lee’s case, his beloved wife of 68 years, Elizabeth Ann. There’s a profound sadness woven into the fabric of such a long life, a library of cherished memories shared with people who have long since departed.
Yet, if we look at the incredible tapestry of Lee’s life, the dominant threads are not of sadness, but of strength, service, love, and an unwavering passion that lasted nearly a century.
Our story begins with a schoolboy in Sayville, Long Island. Lee was a true all-American kid, playing baseball, football, and basketball. He was sharp, too, excelling in math and history—a combination that would foreshadow a brilliant future. He graduated with the Class of 1941, a class that would soon see its world change forever.
Lee answered the call of duty, proudly serving as a Captain in the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater during World War II and later in the Korean War. It was during the Korean conflict that his sharp mind truly shone. He developed an approved hydraulic system to pump fuel from ship to shore, a critical innovation for an amphibious invasion. In the heat of conflict, a mechanical engineer was born.
After the war, he followed that calling, earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1948. He married his Elizabeth, whom everyone knew as Ann, in July of 1949, and together they built a beautiful family of four adoring children: Olivia, Neal, Paul, and Cecily.
Lee’s professional life was dedicated to his passion for hydraulics. Specializing in centrifugal pumps, he worked for Frank A. Kristal Associates in Manhattan, eventually becoming its president. He expanded the company, merged with another, and here’s the part that truly defines his character: he remained a vital source of expertise and guidance in his field until the astounding age of 94. Because of his work, countless pumps were installed at sites throughout the New York tri-state area—a hidden legacy of infrastructure that keeps things moving, a quiet, constant contribution to the world he helped build.
But a life is more than a career. After moving his family to Oyster Bay in 1954, he poured his energy into his community. He transferred his boyhood passion for sports into a love for golf, where he thrived as a senior club champion. He served as President of the Locust Valley School Board, and for decades contributed as a police commissioner and trustee for the Village of Muttontown. This wasn’t just a resident; this was a pillar.
He was a devoted family man, a loving husband, and a dear grandfather to his grandson, Alex.
In early July, family, friends, and a community grateful for his long life gathered to say farewell. They held visitations in Syosset and a moving memorial service at Christ Church in Oyster Bay, a place that had been a spiritual home for Lee and Ann for so many years. He was laid to rest alongside his beloved wife in the serene Memorial Cemetery of St. John’s.
Lee Alexander lived through the entirety of the 20th century and well into the 21st. He saw the world transform, and he helped transform it. His was a long road, well-traveled, and his journey leaves behind a map for all of us on how to live with purpose, right up to the very end.
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