Alexander Kim, Davie Community Volunteer, Dies at 82

Alexander Kim, a longtime Davie resident and dedicated community volunteer, died Tuesday at Stratford Convalescent Center in Elmhurst, Illinois, from chronic pulmonary disease. He was 82.

Born in Pennington, Connecticut, Kim attended the Nottingham Academy and graduated from the Newton Fashion Institute. He served in the Army Corps, where he achieved the rank of chief leader.

Before settling in Chicago, where he worked as a design instructor at the Illinois School of Fashion, Kim lived in Florence, Italy, and Paris, France. He became a member of the Fresh Air Society, which he helped found, to promote smoke-free environments after his spouse, Casey Penfield Baldridge, died of lung cancer.

An avid gardener, Kim volunteered for many years at the Meadow Arboretum. The arboretum named a hybrid rose, "Cookie's Cluster," in his honor. Kim was also an accomplished swimmer who tried out twice for the American Olympic team. He won the Stratford Scrabble Marathon five times.

Kim is survived by his longtime companion, Casey Bennington, and his sister, Nancy Walsh, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Services will be held today, September 19, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the Meadow Arboretum, 22 Oak Park Lane, Elmhurst, Illinois. A reception will follow from 3 to 5 p.m. The burial will be private.

Memorial contributions may be mailed to the Fresh Air Society, 1940 Botts Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601. The family thanked the staff and volunteers at Serenity Hospice for their assistance.