SALISBURY — When colleagues speak about Mayor Karen Alexander, they do not use grandiose terms, although they would fit a woman whose fingerprints cover the city of Salisbury. Instead, they use personal terms to describe her, such as kind, loving and caring.

“Karen genuinely cared about everybody. I’ve sat in on meetings with her and I’ve seen how various employees look at her, and they look at her with genuine care, love and trust,” said Mayor Pro Tem Tamara Sheffield.

Alexander died Sunday at the age of 73. In October, Alexander stepped back from her availability as mayor to focus on her personal health after a cancer diagnosis. Alexander’s death was confirmed on Monday by Assistant City Manager Kelly Baker, who called Alexander a “legitimately warm individual who cared greatly about the city, its people and everyone who worked for it.”

Sheffield painted a picture of a community and family oriented mayor.

“She was kind and she loved her family. She always put her family first. She was a God-fearing woman, and she put her community in her life. She sacrificed so much for the community, it was a purpose for her and I just hate that I can’t keep sharing this with her,” said Sheffield.

Another part about Alexander that resonated with Sheffield is how she engaged with people.

“She truly listened to you as you spoke, she was attentive and I watched her learn and grow to not be afraid of opening up about how you felt. I think learning to not have that boundary made her a stronger leader,” said Sheffield. 

Sheffield called Alexander more than just a fellow member of the city council to her and many of their colleagues, describing her as a friend and confidant.

“Karen and I have grown closer every year we’ve served together, to the point I would consider her a personal friend. Honestly, we would tell each other we loved each other because we genuinely cared about each other,” said Sheffield.

Before serving on the city council, Alexander served as the principal architect for the KKA architecture firm, which she also founded.

“She was a trailblazer, a female in the male-dominated field of architecture, and she handled it all with such class and grace. She could teach a masterclass in how to build a consensus and bring everyone together,” said Baker.

In describing the mayor, Salisbury City Council member David Post shared a story from the renovation of his home, which he had hired her for. During the design process, Alexander called Post and asked him to accompany her to Lowe’s because she had a design in mind, but she wanted to include Post and get his input.

“She was a very calming person, she worked hard to get people on the same page. Whenever she called you, she gave as much time as was necessary. One time, she called and just said, ‘let’s go to Lowe’s. I know what I want to get for your house, but I just want to make sure that you like it.’ Then, we spent hours just picking out colors for bathroom tiles. She didn’t want to tell us what to do, she was very inclusive” said Post.

That attitude spread to her time leading the city government, as employees and fellow council members all described Alexander as a person who worked to keep everyone on the same path and moving towards the same goal.

“That’s the way she was as a mayor and as a council person. She wanted people to work together, she wanted everything to be a team effort. Prime example is the last election, she didn’t have anybody running against her for mayor, so she ran ads supporting us all as a ticket,” said Post.

While an architect, Alexander either designed or worked on a multitude of buildings throughout the city. Articles in the Salisbury Post archives date back to the late 1980s and describe her work on the Council Street Commons, Catawba College’s Center for the Environment and Fairmont Terrace. The firm also worked on the Salisbury Customer Service Center on South Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, the redesign of the Salisbury Police Department and Salisbury Fire Station No. 4 on Statesville Boulevard.

In other words, testaments to Alexander’s work in the community stand throughout the city.

“It takes equal parts wit and wisdom. Renovation is not for the faint of heart,” Alexander told the Post in a story about the Council Street renovation in 1997. 

In addition to her work on the city council, Alexander also served as the president of the Waterworks Board of Directors and as the president of the N.C. League of Municipalities.

“We were lucky to have her as mayor and the state was lucky to have her as the president of the League of Municipalities,” said Post.

Alexander has also served as a member of the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle, the Salisbury Planning Board and many other community boards and committees.

“Mayor Alexander’s passing is a significant loss to Salisbury and Rowan County. Her love for Salisbury and its citizens was exemplified by her unwavering dedication and selfless public service as she lead Salisbury through economic development and growth, with a gentle, soft spoken strength that achieved so much. It was always a pleasure to work with her, an honor to know her and a blessing to be counted among her friends. I will miss her greatly,” wrote N.C. Rep. Harry Warren in a press release.

After the news of Alexander’s death was shared on social media, an outpouring of support was shared by leaders and organizations from throughout the community.

“Rachel and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mayor Karen Alexander, a dedicated leader and dear friend who gave so much to Salisbury. Karen’s passion for her community was evident in every action she took, from her leadership on the city council to her remarkable tenure as Salisbury’s first ever elected mayor. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mayor Alexander’s family, friends and the Salisbury community as we mourn the loss of an extraordinary woman and leader,” wrote Congressman-Elect Addison McDowell.

Organizations such as Salisbury PRIDE, Smart Start Rowan, Crosby Scholars of Rowan County and many more shared their condolences and mourned the loss of one of Salisbury and Rowan County’s “best advocates and promotors,” as the Rowan Museum’s Facebook post stated.

“Mayor Karen Alexander was a remarkable public servant and tireless advocate for the people of Salisbury. Amy Kate and I extend our condolences to her loved ones, her friends and all who were touched by her kindness and leadership,” wrote U.S. Senator Ted Budd in a post on X.

Alexander was in her fourth term as mayor, having first been elected to the Salisbury City Council in 2013 and serving as mayor from 2015 until 2017. She returned to the mayoral position in 2019 before winning the city’s first ever mayoral election in 2021. She was reelected in 2023 after running unopposed, and her term runs through 2025.

State law mandates that filling a vacant office is the duty of the sitting city council, similar to how the council selected Carlton Jackson Jr. in November to fill the seat vacated by Anthony Smith’s move to Alabama. The office of mayor would have been up for election during the next regularly-scheduled city election, so any appointee would serve the rest of the current term.

Details regarding memorial arrangements will be shared with the public once they are finalized, according to a release from the city.

“The City of Salisbury encourages everyone to keep Mayor Alexander’s family in their thoughts during this difficult time,” wrote the city in the release.