Meet Mary Alexander

Mary Alexander retired from nursing after working in the field for thirty-eight years. She had always been very active and when she retired, she quickly realized that she needed something to fill her time. She heard about Florida Oceanographic Society from a friend. After they both attended a volunteer information session in January 2021, they decided it was the place for them. Since then, Mary has volunteered more than 200 hours of her time on behalf of the organization.

As a volunteer for our Education Department, Mary splits her time manning the Invertebrate Touch Tank and the exhibit galleries in the Ocean EcoCenter. Both stations allow her to interact with Coastal Center guests and explain the unique and interesting facts about Conservation Ambassador Animals that call the Coastal Center home.  “I’ve realized that the animals all have different personalities. It is a constant learning experience,” says Mary of her time volunteering. And the animals aren’t the only ones with different personalities. “Every day is unique because each guest is different. They ask great questions. Many have never encountered these creatures in real life and to be able to touch them or watch them in their environment is really fun.”

Mary and her husband, David, met in the 8th grade, dated through high school and college. They got married about three weeks after graduation and have been married for 53 wonderful years. They enjoy spending time with their three children and six grandchildren.  All of them live far away so they spend a lot of time traveling to visit them.

Snapshot:

Born: Annapolis, MD and then moved to Norfolk, VA as her dad was in the Navy.
Schooling: University of Virginia for her undergraduate degree in Nursing and the University of Texas for her Masters in Emergency Care.
Restaurants: Too many favorites too to list, but a couple favorites are Happy Hour at the Gafford and Taco Viejo.
Hobbies: Reading, making greeting cards, counted cross stitch, water aerobics and volunteering at both Molly’s House and Morningside Library in addition to work at Florida Oceanographic Society.
Books: Mary is a voracious reader and always has several books available to read.  Her very favorite book is Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.