Alexander B. "Alex" Munro, 81, of Conestoga, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, January 11, 2024, due to an unexpected hemorrhagic stroke. Born in West Chester, he was the son of the late John B. Munro and the late Mary (Giles) Emery.
Alex first attended school in the Owen J. Roberts School District and went on to study masonry and graduate from Thaddeus Stevens Trade School in 1960. He was employed over the years with the Bricklayers Union in Philadelphia, owning and operating his own company, Munro Masonry, and as a project superintendent for R.R. Long Masonry, overseeing the construction of Park City shopping mall. For the last 30 years, Alex served as the Executive Director of the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation and Alumni Association.
Alex spent his life serving those around him. He was a rock and firm supporter of his family. He started out with absolutely nothing, surrounded by people who gave him very little love and support. He chose to break the cycle and did everything in his power, with tireless dedication and deep commitment, to build a legacy of faithful service to others. Together with his loving wife of 62 years, Judy (Steckervetz) Munro, he was a builder not only of structures but of a life and legacy anyone would be proud of.
Alex would give you the shirt off his back, worked tirelessly for the people and goals he loved, and always had one more project to finish. Alex loved a good joke, always had room for a little chuckle, and loved to tell a story to anyone who had a moment (or didn't). He enjoyed, with his wife, camping, horseback riding, hiking, bird watching, building beautiful ornamental ponds, exploring God's nature, his loving pup of 10 years who was his best buddy, Dexter, and a little bowl of ice cream. To his family he was larger than life, and we knew he would always be there for us no matter the circumstance.
Alex spent many years of his life relentlessly advocating for Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology as the Executive Director of the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation, and as President of the Alumni Association. His path was drastically changed by the opportunities he was given as a young man by attending Stevens, which at the time was dedicated to the education of orphaned and underprivileged boys. Alex hitch-hiked his way there, pled his case for admission at the young age of 14, and worked and attended classes while sending all his earnings home to care for his younger brothers. Starting with the borrowed clothes on his back, the support of his instructors and the mentorship from Pastor Biechler and his dear wife Mammy, he laid the groundwork for a beautiful life and family. With the knowledge and skills he learned from Stevens, he spent the first 30 years of his career as a stone mason and bricklayer. Alex never shied away from hard work or insurmountable odds. He knew the value of a strong work ethic, the pride of building something with your own two hands, and the beauty that comes from quality, dedication and integrity. He returned to Thaddeus Stevens and spent the remainder of his career, only retiring at the age of 79, advocating for the college and its programs. Working tirelessly with the community, alumni and the Pennsylvania legislature, Alex raised millions of dollars to support the mission of Thaddeus Stevens. Alex had a unique gift; he was able to share with others the vision of what Thaddeus Stevens could do for the students it served. He was the embodiment of the Thaddeus Stevens mission. Thaddeus Stevens College would never be what it is today without his tireless dedication and his optimistic view of what a solid education and a trade could give a person.
Most importantly, Alex never went a day without being thankful for the life-changing grace he found in a relationship with Jesus. Coming to find the Lord as a young adult, he was profoundly grateful for the new life he found in Christ. He made a point to never leave an opportunity on the table to share the love of God. Our family would smile as each and every pre-dinner prayer became a gospel message. I think we'd all give anything to listen to that long-winded prayer one more time. Alex and Judy loved fully each of those they called family and friend, and we knew it was sincere when they said they prayed for us daily. He was generous in every aspect of life, and many of us owe our success and comfort in life to his support.
The loss of this man is profound, our family will forever have a missing piece. But we rest in the knowledge, because of that same relationship with Christ that he worked so hard to share with us, we'll see him again someday.
Until then Alex/Dad/Pop-Pop, we miss you, we love you, and we can't wait to see you again.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters, Vicki (Brian) Knisely, of Conestoga, and Kristine (Vincent) Thibeault, of Augusta, ME; grandchildren, Evelyn (Adam) Gochenour, of Dover, PA, Scott (Janine) Hoffer, of Litchfield, ME, Samuel Knisely, of Conestoga, Mark Hoffer, of Willow Street, Luke Knisely, of Weatherford, OK, and Clayton Knisely, of Conestoga; great-grandchildren, Sophia and Jacob Gochenour, and Lucas and Maxwell Hoffer; and a brother, William Munro, of Lancaster. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Joanne Lemon, and brothers, Jack, Harry, Albert, and Richard Munro.
A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 19, 2024, at Pequea Church, 40 Church Road, Lancaster, PA 17603. Viewings will be held at the church on Thursday evening, January 18, from 6 p.m. 8 p.m. and on Friday morning, January 19, from 9:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m. Interment will be private in River Corner Mennonite Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Alex's memory to the Alex B. Munro Memorial Scholarship for Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, 740 East End Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17602. (Please make checks payable to "Thaddeus Stevens Foundation" and write "Alex B. Munro Scholarship" on the memo line.) You can also donate online at stevenscollege.edu/give/donate (please enter "Alex B. Munro Memorial Scholarship" in the designated fund field).
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