McKinley lending library pays tribute to devoted mother

WARREN — Lincoln High School algebra teacher Darrius Alexander was at a loss for words.

“I’m speechless right now,” he said, speaking to the staff that gathered after school Oct. 6 at McKinley Elementary School. “Thank you very much.”

Darrius and his sons — Londyn, 8; Baylar, 10; and Skylar, 11 — were at the school for the unveiling of McKinley’s new lending library. McKinley is part of the Van Dyke Public Schools district, where Darrius also is a football coach at Lincoln High School.

The stand-alone library was dedicated to Darrius’ wife, Madinah Alexander, who died unexpectedly in February. Madinah also is survived by her daughter, Soleair. Baylar had been attending the district’s Carlson Elementary School but came to McKinley last year as a student in the cognitive impaired (CI) categorical classroom.

Madinah was a devoted mother and very active in her children’s lives, including at school. It was something CI teacher Taylor Coppola and paraprofessional Sandra Campbell noticed right away about the nurturing woman who took care of her family. The educators both got to know the family very well.

“Darrius has now become a single parent. It was so important for us to do this for him because he does so much for the community,” Campbell said. “It was very easy to fall in love with this family. When they lost their mom, it was heartbreaking to everyone who loved the family.”

To honor Madinah, Coppola and Campbell spearheaded a project to install the lending library on the McKinley campus. After getting approval from the administration, they began plans for installation.

McKinley partnered with Parks & Meyer’s Landscaping in St. Clair Shores, which planted all the flowers around the stand-alone library. They tapped into the talents of Lincoln Middle School art teacher John Lonsway, who painted the lending library blue. He also added details of a bright sky, billowy clouds, sunlight and a cross connected to a heart.

“I worked with Darrius at another school,” Lonsway said. “He always gives so much to other people. He’s easy to respect and easy to love.”

McKinley students created artwork to accompany the landscape, and several community members donated books. The lending library includes an inscription that reads, “In Celebration of Madinah Alexander Lover of Literacy 2022.”

“One of my biggest blessings is the Alexander Family. They were rock star parents. We’ve been very close with the family, especially after the loss. This has been a complete Van Dyke effort,” Coppola said. “We are thrilled to celebrate the life of Madinah with this lending library. She will always be remembered.”

Using a free-standing library is easy. People can take a book from the library to read and when they are done return it or donate another book in its place. Books are for all ages: kids, teens and adults. The McKinley lending library is open to the public.