In Memoriam: Alexandra "Alexa" Q. Aldridge

Alexandra “Alexa” Q. Aldridge (née Quandt) of Haverford, Pa., passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 23, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born Sept. 14, 1935, in Budapest, Hungary, to Richard and Erszébet (Elizabeth) Quandt, Aldridge fled Soviet Union-controlled Hungary in 1947 with her family and came to the United States in 1949. She graduated from the Madeira School in McLean, Va., in 1953, and from Bryn Mawr College in 1957 with an A.B. in English. She married Fred Aldridge (deceased) in 1957.

Aldridge worked nearly her entire life, starting in college when she took advantage of every school holiday to find jobs and earn spending money. Upon graduation from college, Aldridge’s first job was as an account executive at N.W. Ayer & Sons advertising agency, where her main clients were De Beers and Caterpillar, Inc. She then taught English at the Phelps School in Malvern, where she became the Department chair. After the birth of her second child, Aldridge took time off from paid employment, but she was never idle. She was appointed to the Governor’s Justice Commission Southeast Regional Planning Council, serving on the Council’s Planning Committee and as an oral examiner for Criminal Justice Systems Planners. She was also President of the Board of Cluster House, a halfway house for formerly incarcerated individuals.

In 1977, she found her true professional calling in resource development when she was hired to be the director of development for Bryn Mawr College and eventually became secretary of the College. In 1991, she was hired as the vice president for development for the Philadelphia Museum of Art; she became the Executive Director of Development and the 2001 Campaign for the Museum in 1998. She retired from the museum in 2001.

“Alexa was a woman of great intelligence and charm, which made her a most successful fundraiser for two institutions she cared deeply about—Bryn Mawr College and later the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” says President Emeritus Mary Patterson McPherson. “She was great fun to work and travel with, and we became good friends. After her retirement, she took many courses at the College, and to the surprise and admiration of all concerned, she insisted on doing all the work, papers, and exams. When I became a member of the board of the Central European University in Budapest, I counted on Alexa’s knowledge of Hungary to help me be more useful. Her courage as she faced several health issues at the end of her life was admirable. She is greatly missed by her family and her many friends.”

Through the years, Aldridge worked with and served on the boards of many other organizations, including the Relâche Ensemble, the Corvina Foundation, Elder Hostel, and as a consultant for the Philadelphia Theatre Company’s capital campaign. She also remained active with Bryn Mawr College, serving on its Friends of the Library Committee and with the Philadelphia Museum of Art serving on the Alexandra Q. Aldridge Book Fund Committee, which was started in her honor upon her retirement, and the Chairman’s Council Advisory Committee.

Aldridge was engaging and engaged, and never one to be left behind. She was an avid tennis player, gourmet cook, scuba diver, and bridge player. She was an active member of the investment club at the Acorn Club. She learned to fish, hunt, and camp with her late husband. She also loved to travel and was fortunate to reach many parts of the globe. Personally and professionally, Aldridge supported and guided countless individuals who viewed her as friend, mentor, or honorary aunt or mother. She was admired for the boundless courage with which she faced many life challenges, and her energy and vitality were inspirational.

Aldridge is survived by her brother, Dick Quandt of Princeton, N.J.; daughter Mindy Aldridge of Bryn Mawr, Pa., her husband Steve King, and her daughter Katharine Mancini; and son Richard Aldridge of Bryn Mawr, Pa., his wife Kris, and their children Hank, Eliza, Bo, and Evie.