Alexandria marie Verner - Her story
Alexandria Marie, also known as Alex, Al, or Big Al, was born on August 17th, 2002. She was born four days after her due date, which would end up being Al’s typical behavior—she was never in a rush, always taking her time, and moving through life to her own beat.
Raised in the small town of Clawson, Michigan, she was an easy baby, and again, always taking everything in stride and going with the flow. She didn’t speak much until we dropped her older brother off at preschool. Up until that point, she was simply okay with TJ doing the talking for her.
Alex would move through school and sports with that same easy-going attitude. She was extremely hardworking, paid attention, and did everything she was supposed to do - always completing the job or task on her plate with absolute grace. Alex was an outstanding athlete but an even more amazing human being, serving as a role model for many throughout her journey at Clawson Middle and High School.
We felt horrible for her when her high school senior year was cut short because of COVID, yet Alex approached it calmly, as always, and didn’t let it faze her.
Then, after being accepted into Michigan State University in East Lansing, with a plan to study Integrated Biology and future studies of Forensic Science, she lost her freshman year of college yet again to COVID. But to no one’s surprise, Al maintained her positive attitude and excelled in online school.
Sophomore year at MSU went great until the last few weeks of the second semester when her apartment building flooded - leaving her to finish final exams in a hotel room. Once again, Alex took it all in and kept a smile on her face.
We hoped her junior year would end differently and she could finally enjoy a successful year at MSU. Her new townhouse was great and she shared some fantastic memories and moments with her wonderful friends at school. She had a job in a lab that she loved and secured an internship in her field of study for the summer, which she was really looking forward to. Her calm and positive attitude had guided her through an amazing life thus far, and she was truly happy with where her future would take her.
Unfortunately, God had other plans for her. On the evening of February 13th, 2023, Alex was taken from us in the tragic shooting at Michigan State University, along with two other students - Arielle Anderson and Brian Fraser.
Words cannot describe how difficult life has been without Al. She was a kind, calm, passionate, and hilarious human being. She was an amazing daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and a truly incredible friend to countless individuals. She touched many people’s lives, and now that she is no longer with us, we want to ensure she continues to touch the lives of others with her outstanding and remarkable character.
We’ve established Alex’s Foundation to help celebrate who she was and what she loved so that she will forever be remembered, and her legacy never forgotten.