Reflections of His Life...

A Time to be Born
On January 28, 1963, Dewayne Eric Alexander entered this world and our hearts. His parents Everlean Townsend and George Alexander were proud to welcome their bouncing baby boy into this world. Little did they know, not only would he become a tremendous blessing to them, he would also be a blessing to so many others. At an early age he accepted Christ and joined St. Luke Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was baptized by the late Rev. U.J. Winbush. He was a faithful member and in the Youth Department, Junior Usher Board, Youth Choir, and Baptist Training Unit.

A Time to Grow
As a child, Mr. Alexander attended Tulsa Public Schools, and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School with the Mighty Class of 1981. A loyal Hornet, Dwayne was an active member of DECA, the annual performances of Hi-Jinks, the Gospel Choir, and the Select Choir. While he was a student at Booker T. Washington, Dwayne worked at the Annex Movie Theater, Sound Warehouse and the Corp of Engineers as a high school senior. He attended the University of Oklahoma, and The New York Fashion Institute of Technology. Dwayne was soft spoken, quick to smile and possessed a big strong laugh full of joy. His work at both the Tulsa Job Corps and Los Angeles Job Corps were more suited to his personality of giving back and helping people. He had the opportunity to make New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles his home all the while making a lasting impression and countless friends.

He was an artist and he cherished being creatvie in every sense of the word. The music industry was calling and Dwayne launched his music career at Billboard Magazine. After his tenure at Billboard Magazine, he went on to A&M Records as a publicist and shortly after was named Vice President of Artists Repertoire with Capitol/EMI. Dwayne was instrumental in launching the careers of several musicians, backup singers, production assistants, and recording executives. He has worked with several now famous artists and has received several Gold Records for his efforts as a Producer and A&R Executive. In addition, Dwayne was drawn to the discipline of writing. He was really engaged with telling stories through film. In 1998, he left the music industry to study screenwriting at the City College of New York, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Media Arts and Communication with Phi Beta Kappa Honors in 2002. Because of his longing to produce and direct film, he set his sights on Los Angeles, California, and the American Film Institute. Dwayne graduated from the American Film Institute, Magna Cum Laude in 2005, along with a Master's Degree in Film Art with a concentration in Screenwriting. While in Los Angeles, Dwayne worked in theater and in documentary film, creating several documentaries, film shorts, and many feature length scripts. In 2007, he produced and directed his first play in Los Angeles called "Full Moon Blues" starring Blues Legend Linda Hopkins. He had several feature films in pre-production. His latest project, recently televised on TV One titled "Unsung," a documentary on the life of Millie Jackson. He spent two and a half years working with the North Tulsa Historical Society helping to create and document the 1921 Race Riot which helped to strengthen his greatest dream of producing "For Greenwood." Dwayne received many writing awards and honors. Among them were the 2001 Project Ascend/McNair Fellowship, 2004 & 2005 Henry Hathaway Screenwriting Scholarship.

In 2009, he moved home to assist his mother. While in Tulsa, he worked as a substitute teacher in the Tulsa Public School System, and also worked at The Tulsa Job Corps. In 2010, he moved back to Los Angeles and resumed his writing career and accepted a position as a Counselor with the YWCA Los Angeles Job Corps Center. Dwayne Eric Alexander touched the hearts, minds and souls of many. He was truly a gentle giant whose star was just beginning to climb when god called him Home on March 14, 2012.

A Time to Embrace
Dwayne is preceded in death by his fathers: Harvey L. Wilson, Sr. and George Alexander, Sr. Remaining to cherish and embrace his memories: his loving mother, Everlean Wilson, three brothers: Jerry Alexander, Derrick Alexander, Sr. (Nicole), and Harvey L. Wilson, Jr. (Yolanda), and a blended family with five brothers: Jerald Wilson, Anthony Alexander (Coretta), Greg Alexander, Ron Patterson, George "Budda" Alexander, eight sisters: Wanda Renee Johnson-Wilson, Tina Wilson, Sheila Wilson, Carla Alexander, Deondra "Dee-Dee" Alexander-Hall (Billie Ray), Stephanie Alexander, Volanda Alexander-Jones (Ricky), Monica Alexander-Brown, and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Services for Mr. Alexander will be 11AM on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at Antioch Baptist Church