Franklin Alexander Severance died on Dec. 31, 2014, while at home in Brunswick with his wife, Irene, at his side.

Alex was born in New York City on March 14, 1939, and grew up in New Canaan, CT. Alex, known in his youth as Sandy, graduated from South Kent School, South Kent, CT, in 1957 and went on to earn a B.A. in English from Harvard and a MALS from Wesleyan. Later he earned M.A. degrees at the Muskie School of Public Service in Social Studies and in Public Policy. Alex’s military service was with the Army National Guard, basic training in Fort Polk, LA.

Following his graduation from Harvard, Alex became an instructor of English and French at Ibadan Boys’ High School near Lagos, Nigeria for two years. Returning to the U.S. he worked briefly for Mobil Oil and then joined the faculty of Greenwich Country Day School, Greenwich, CT. In 1977, he became Head of the Middle School at Friends Seminary in New York, NY. He later became principal of the Middle School at Abington Friends School in Jenkintown, PA and then moved on as assistant head master at North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, ME.

In addition to his career in education, Alex served as a chief deputy sheriff of Fairfield County, CT, assistant commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Insurance in Hartford, CT, and was employed by the State of Maine Department of Professional & Financial Regulations as a regulatory board coordinator. He also enjoyed working in community theater in Nigeria, CT, NY, PA, and ME. He volunteered with College Guild, Literacy Volunteers, and a variety of other nonprofit organizations.

Alex is survived by his wife Irene of

Brunswick, ME; son

David and fiancée

Chloe of Raleigh, NC; an older brother John B. Severance and wife Sylvia of Savannah, GA; a younger brother M. Renwick Severance and wife Ronni of North Ft. Myers, FL; nieces Abigail F. Severance of Los Angeles, CA and Rebecca S. Cushing, her husband Dan and their children David and Julia of Moraga, CA. Also surviving are his stepchildren, Scott G Curran of Hampden, ME; Kimberly L Sullivan and husband Scott of Westbrook, ME; Andrew F Bourgoin of Chicago, IL; and one grandchild, Logan S. Sullivan of Westbrook, ME. Alex was predeceased by his parents Frances V. and Frank A. F. Severance and a sister Sarah S. Wells.

A social gathering for family and friends will be on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Brunswick Inn on Park Row, 165 Park Row, Brunswick, ME. If one desires, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders, 333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001, an organization Alex so passionately believed in.