Mary Barbara Alexander

Mary Barbara grew up in a working class family in Columbus, Ohio, and dreamed of becoming a cowboy, a veterinarian, an entertainer and a planetary hero. This is how she's followed her dreams. After 12 years of Catholic school, Mary Barbara went to Smith College on a full scholarship where she majored in Theatre. Between sophomore and junior years, she married her high school sweetheart and they are happily together to this day. Immediately after college graduation Mary Barbara went to The Ohio State University and earned a master's degree in Zoology, studying captive gorillas and concentrating on primate behavior. It was perfect training for acting. Fresh out of grad school, she got a job as an environmental administrator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where she was in charge of a six million dollar grant program which afforded some invaluable experience in politics and public speaking. They used to call her "the six million dollar woman." After several years, Mary Barbara went to New York to start her professional acting career. While studying acting, voice and dance, she modeled bridal gowns, bras, and junior sportswear, made personal appearances as Wonder Woman and Batgirl, and did trade shows for AT&T. She earned her SAG card, became a member of the Apple Corps Theatre Company and volunteered reading to the visually impaired on a special radio network. In the early 80's Mary Barbara and her husband moved to Los Angeles where she continued working in theatre and TV. After their daughter was born, they moved back to New York. When Mary Barbara was 39 and her daughter was 7, they started taking riding lessons together at the Clairmont Riding Academy on 89th Street. They went on to compete in jumping and eventually got their own horses. They also got involved in showing and breeding dogs and Mary Barbara was fortunate enough to show her own champion Portuguese Water Dog at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. She has competed in Agility and Obedience as well with her dogs. Mary Barbara loves tools and fixing things, painting, woodworking and driving her John Deere tractor. As an accomplished chef, she enjoys feeding people and sharing good wine. She has traveled extensively, enjoys scuba diving, and loves to garden and flower arrange, having exhibited arrangements at the Worcester Art Museum and the New England Flower Show. The most important things to Mary Barbara are her family and friends, her animals and this beautiful planet on which we live. The thing she would most like to have people say about her when she's passed on is: "She was a brave woman and a great friend."