On the morning of October 2, Alexander Hafner III went home to be with the Lord. He passed quietly at home, on a beautiful Sunday morning with his family. Alex was 94 years young, the patriarch of our family.
Alex was born December 17th, 1927, in Selma, Alabama, the youngest of seven children to Alexander Hafner II and Emma Holston.
Alex graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, and was educated in engineering, physics, and mathematics at the University of Alabama and University of Alabama Huntsville. He served in the United States Army Armored Cavalry in 1950, ’51, and ’52. He worked at various jobs during and before his college days, including several months in an iron ore mine. After graduate school he worked as a physicist at the Naval Research Labs in Washington, DC and as an engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center where he aided in the first moon landing and also worked on the development of the Hubble Telescope.
Alex had many accomplishments, but one he was most proud of was becoming a published author at the age of 93. After a lifetime of service to the Lord, the book is about his own commentary about the Scripture.
Alex and his wife Mary were married in September of 1954, and they were always by each other’s sides. He would sometimes refer to her as “sugar foot”, among many other sweet things. Mary and Alex were long time members at Sherwood Baptist Church and very much enjoyed Gospel music and would travel often to Gospel singings and dinners on the ground. Every chance they got, they would go camping, and in later years would travel in their motor home across the country. On most of those trips, they would take at least one of their four grandchildren because they loved travelling with Memaw and Grandaddy. In the last several years, they enjoyed the fellowship and friendship with several of their fellow RVers and would take small trips with their travel club, which they enjoyed very much. They enjoyed eating out, playing card games and dominoes.
Alex was preceded in death by his sisters, Emma Lee Donaldson, Ethel Hafner, Mamie Hafner, Dorothy Sides, and Alexena Cameron, his son, Alex Hafner Jr, and his wife, Mary Ruth Hafner.
Alex is survived by his son, Jay Hafner; and daughter-in-law, Diane; four granddaughters, Crystal Marie Hafner, Jessica Lea Teal, Leslie Ann Cutler and Anna Kaitlin Hafner, who have always loved their Grandaddy; six great-grandchildren, Summer, Kiah, Blake, Tessa, Emily, and Damien; one great-great-grandchild, Jaxon; and his niece, Charlotte Dutton of Birmingham, who has been a blessing to them both.
Alex was the kindest man, the most faithful servant, and was so very loved by his family.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, October 5, at Sherwood Baptist Church. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. at the church with burial immediately following at Valhalla Memory Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sherwood Baptist Church.
