Sidney Alexander, M.D.

1931-2026

Recently retired Chairman Emeritus of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine of the Lahey Clinic and past President of Physicians for Social Responsibility, devoted husband of almost 66 years, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Sid passed away on May 26, 2026. He died at age 94 at his home in Newton, MA surrounded by family and love.

A second generation American and the first in his family to go to college, Sid was determined to live a life of purpose and meaning. Born and raised in Hartford, CT, he attended Wesleyan University on a scholarship and then earned an M.D. from Harvard Medical School (1957). He trained in cardiology at the Brigham Hospital and became a Research Fellow in Cardiology at Harvard working in the Lab of Bernard Lown, MD, a pioneer and innovator in cardiac medicine.

He was recruited by Lahey to launch its first Department of Cardiology. During his 63-year tenure at Lahey, he grew the Cardiology Department from an idea to one of the outstanding clinical cardiology departments in the country. He served in multiple leadership and teaching roles, including as Department Chair for 22 years and Chair Emeritus until his retirement six weeks before his passing. At Lahey, Sid specialized in coronary heart disease prevention, with a particular focus on cholesterol and its treatment. He started Lahey’s first cholesterol/lipid clinic (still in operation) and co-founded both the Northeast Lipid Group and the National Lipid Association. He was the recipient of numerous honors at Lahey, most notably the establishment of the Alexander Chair in Cardiology and the Frank Lahey award for patient care.

In addition, Sid co-founded Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), a non-profit organization created in 1961 dedicated to raising awareness about the public health dangers of nuclear weapons testing, stockpiling and use. As the U.S. affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), PSR shared in IPPNW’s 1985 Nobel Peace Prize for “perform[ing] a considerable service to mankind by spreading authoritative information and by creating an awareness of the catastrophic consequences of atomic warfare.” As PSR president he also led numerous physicians’ exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union at a time when professional and citizen interaction between the two countries was highly restricted. Sid also ran the Boston and New York City marathons and authored the book Running Healthy, 1980.

He is survived by his wife Susan; two daughters – Rachel Alexander Healey (Daniel P. Healey) and Sarah Alexander (William Pearce); five grandchildren – Katherine Dewez (Theodore Dewez), Julia Healey (Glen Krebs), Daniel Healey, Caroline Healey and Natalie Pearce; and two great grandchildren – Camille Dewez and Isabelle Krebs.

Announcement of a memorial service to celebrate his life will be forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any gifts be made in his honor to the Cardiology Department at the Lahey Clinic https://bilhealth.org/dralexander