Necrology

Alexander Smith Flesh '50

Nov. 9, 1927-Oct. 10, 2021

Alexander Smith Flesh ’50 died on Oct. 10, 2021, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Born on Nov. 9, 1927, and raised in Piqua, Ohio, he enrolled at Princeton University in 1945 after graduating from The Hill School (Pa.). After a semester at Princeton, he transferred to Hamilton where he majored in English literature and minored in philosophy and French. Among his mentors were Professors Robert Barnes “Bobo” Rudd and George Nesbitt. Earning an “A” from Nesbitt constituted what Alex later called “the apex of my academic career.” He was a member of Sigma Phi fraternity, serving for a time as secretary, was on the staff of The Spectator for one year, sang in the College Choir, and joined the Charlatans for his senior year.

Following graduation, he spent the summer of 1950 at Oxford University conducting postgraduate work in literature. Before returning to the U.S., Alex toured France for a few weeks, and in Nice, he met a young woman from England: Beryl Lilian Scott. Their meeting led to a three-year courtship. Later in 1950, he entered the Army, enlisting for three months before being discharged for medical reasons, and then entered the executive training program at R.H. Macy for one year, working as an assistant toy buyer. From 1952 to 1956, he was a salesman for textile products manufactured by the Atlas Underwear Corp., a business established by his grandfather and carried on by his father.

In 1953, he married Beryl in Eastbourne, England. They made their home in New York City for one year before relocating to Sausalito, Calif., where he became the Pacific regional sales manager for the family firm. In 1956, they returned to Piqua so he could assume responsibility first for production and later for sales of the Atlas Corp.’s products. In 1968, he purchased the company from his father, before selling it in 1972.

After a period of consulting for several foreign manufacturers of athletic apparel and other gear looking to access the American market, he started his own business in 1977 and closed it in 1981 — a victim of the 1981-82 recession. He then became marketing and sales manager for Holloway Sportswear of Jackson Center, Ohio, and remained in that position until his retirement in 1995.

Alex was a man of faith. He served on the vestry of St. James Episcopal Church in Piqua, held the offices of junior and senior warden, sang in the choir, was a Eucharistic minister, and taught church school. He served on the boards of Piqua’s YMCA and YWCA, as director of the United Fund, and as president of the PTA.

In 2002, the Fleshes moved to Sanibel Island, Fla., where he was very active in St. Michael and All Saints Episcopal Church, again serving on the vestry, singing in the choir, and serving as a Eucharistic minister and lector. He was also active in other community organizations. In 2019, the couple established themselves in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to be close to their oldest daughter and her extended family.

In his 50th reunion yearbook, Alex stated: “Hamilton broadened and stimulated my intellectual horizons and taught me the mental discipline to carry me through life. … I learned to challenge ideas and new situations in life and deal with them, for the most part successfully.”

Alexander S. Flesh is survived by his wife, four children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his uncles Henry P. Bristol, Class of 1910, and George A. Flesh, Class of 1918.

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