Thomas M. "Tom" Alexander III, of Big Canoe, died Sept. 23, 2016.

He was born in Raleigh, N.C., on June 21, 1945.

Tom graduated from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina and received a bachelor's degree in economics from Belmont Abbey.

EH was married to Jerrie Hasson.

Tom retired from Bellsouth in 2001 following a 35 year career with the corporation.

He was a district manager of operations and a regional director of corporate and external affairs in Georgia.

In his home community of Big Canoe, Tom was a director of the homeowner's association, a Big Canoe firefighter, president of the Big Canoe Volunteer Firefighter's Association and was a chairman of the Big Canoe Elections Committee, served as secretary of the Dawson County Development Authority and Dawson County Building Authority and as vice-chair of the Republican Party in Dawson County.

Tom also served Gibbs Gardens, LLC in customer service.

Alexander served his Catholic faith family at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Jasper as a Reader of the Word at Mass and was an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist.

His parents, Thomas M. Alexander and Lucille B. Alexander, preceded him in death.

Survivors include his sister, Marilou Watson of Jacksonville, Fla.; brother, John Alexander of Jacksonville, Fla.; his wife of 49 years, Jerrie Hasson, the couple married at the Cathedral of Belmont Abbey in 1967; three children, Dr. M. Sean and Valerie Alexander of Canton, Shannon Haskins of Craig of Birmingham, Ala., Lori and Chuck Crawford of Auburn, Ala.; 10 grandchildren; various other relatives also survive.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 29 at Big Canoe Chapel with the Pastor Lamar Helms officiating. Interment will be held at Big Canoe Cemetery.

The family will accept flowers, or make donations to Big Canoe Fire Department, P.O. Box 11564, Big Canoe, Jasper, GA 30143.

Cagle Funeral Home of Jasper is in charge of the arrangements.