Washington recalled Ms. Alexander as an astute critic with a playful sense of humor, whose gauge for good music was how close it drove her to the edge of her seat. “We would go to a concert and Mary would say, ‘Well, I wasn’t on the edge!’ or ‘I almost fell off the chair!’ She was so supportive of the music and cultural organizations here in Philadelphia. She made her rounds, and was a people person, and she just lit up a room when she walked in.”