Alexander M. Galbraith

Alexander McNicol Galbraith, age 93, died peacefully at home on Thursday, July 7, 2022 after a courageous battle with Multiple Myeloma.

Alex was born in 1929 to Victor A. Galbraith and Maxine MacHatton Galbraith in Chicago. He grew up in its western suburbs in the 1930’s and 1940’s, deciding while in high school to prepare for a career in college teaching. He majored in history at Amherst College in Massachusetts. To assist in his first post-graduate studies, Amherst appointed him a Henry Field Fellow in history, and he received his master’s degree from Harvard University. In the early 1950’s, with the Korean War at its height, he was drafted, and served in Korea as operation sergeant for a medical battalion with front-line units and was decorated for his service there. On his return stateside, he changed career goals and went back east to earn a master’s degree in Business Administration at the Graduate Division of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He spent the next thirty years in the business world, a major portion of that time as chief financial officer of a diversified Fortune 500 company.

In 1986 Alex and his family moved to Ohio and settled in Granville soon thereafter. He joined the Business Management faculty at Central Ohio Technical College in Newark and was appointed chair of that department and a passionate advocate for community college education as an important path to success in the business world. The twelve years he spent at COTC were, in his mind, the happiest and most productive of his career.

Alex was deeply involved in other services to the communities he lived in: as an active member of the Session in four Presbyterian churches, as Business Manager of First Presbyterian Church, Granville, for ten years, and for many years as Treasurer of Granville Historical Society, as well as his Michigan and Granville homeowners association.

Alex is survived by his loving wife, Mary Ann Smucker Galbraith of 64 years; a brother, Douglas G. Galbraith of Chicago; his four children, Janet E. (Richard) Barrett of Mesa, AZ, John Galbraith of Birmingham, MI, Anne R. (Lee) Niepagen of Bloomington, IL, and Peter Galbraith of Nelsonville, OH.  He is also survived by four grandchildren, Andrew (Jana) Barrett, Elizabeth (Dahn) Nguyen, Ryan Niepagen, and Lily Anne Galbraith; and two great grandchildren Millie Barrett and Jack Nguyen.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one grandson, Jared Niepagen.

One of Alex’s greatest joys was spending summers in Benzie County, Michigan where he and Mary Ann purchased a cottage on Lake Michigan in 1976. He was a loving spouse, father, grandfather and friend and will be missed by all who knew him.

Services for Alex will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Central Ohio Hospice or First Presbyterian Church of Granville.

Alex’s family would like to thank Hospice for the wonderful care he received during his illness, especially his caring nurse, Chuck.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.mcpeekhoekstra.com.

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