Pastor Laurel Alexander, 64, has gone to her heavenly home on November 4, 2022, after a valiant battle with early onset Alzheimer's. Her devotion to the Lord supported her in this longer struggle and ultimately gave her peace. We are sure the angels rejoiced at her arrival in Heaven.

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Laurel was born to the late Dr. James and Ilo Alexander, a college professor and a homemaker respectively, in  Pasadena, California in July 1958. She was raised in the Christian community that would begin her life's dedication to serving the Lutheran Church and ser Savior, Jesus Christ.

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Growing up in Orange County, California, Laurel was active in Girl Scouts. She attended Troy High School and California State University and Fullerton, majoring in Political Science. During college, Laurel became very active in her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, making life-long friends. In summers, she would volunteer for Camp Titan which benefitted underprivileged youth. Laurel loved being around others and began working in Campus Ministry at UCLA, USC, and the University of Arizona. In 1984, Laurel had the privilege to become a volunteer Chaplain for the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

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Laurel decided to pursue a religious calling and enrolled in Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. After her graduation, she began as a Lutheran Pastor for a small Church in Iowa. After a while, Pastor Laurel decided she wanted to go back into Campus Ministry. She loved the energy and vibe of the college students and moved to Colorado to serve as the Lutheran Pastor for Boulder's University of Colorado Campus Ministry. She led the student ministry from 1996 to 2010. Travel was a passion and she led frequent trips with her students to explore new places and communities and visited with ministry colleagues in all parts of the world, including Guatemala, El Salvador, and Greece.

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In 2010, Lauren's final career led her to Carmel, California, where she served as Pastor for St. Philip's Lutheran Church. Here, Pastor Laurel made many longtime friends and loved the ocean setting. She enjoyed taking long walks along the shoreline after work reflecting on her day. It was here in Monterey, that she was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's. She retired late in 2015 from the church to focus on her health.

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Pastor Laurel is survived by her sister, Kim Alexander. She was preceded in death by her father, the late Dr. James Alexander, and her mother, Ilo Mae.