Born Alexander Law Webster on February 4, 1962, at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, he was the youngest son of David James Webster and Lucy Ann Law Webster.
Raised in London, British boarding schools,
and the gift shop of the United Nations in NYC, Alex lived an adventure-filled
life. After graduating from art college in London, he purchased the John Deere
farm machinery showroom in Roseboom as an artist’s studio. Before settling
permanently in the area, his eclectic journey included working at Café Flore in
San Francisco, NYU film school, a stint as a fashion photographer, driving a
NYC yellow taxi, and living on a sailboat in Key West.
A madly creative soul, he fell in love
with food, taught himself to cook, and eventually opened a restaurant, Alex
& Ika, in the old bowling alley in Cherry Valley, serving whatever wild
notion came to him. For 10 years, he and his wife, Ika, worked very hard,
building a restaurant that gained critical acclaim, while raising their two
young sons, largely in the kitchen. He would later move Alex & Ika to
Cooperstown, along with parts of the old bowling alley, which he fashioned into
tables and the bar. He repurchased his original Cherry Valley space, opening
Cantina de Salsa, and later, Alex. Through the years, Alex changed the food
offerings and names of his restaurant at 149 Main Street in Cooperstown to
include Cantina de Salsa and Alex’s World Bistro. All were a perfect
distillation of his unique personality and wonderful wild artist’s heart. His
restaurants, decorated in his own eclectic and bohemian way, reflected him, and
were always the place to gather with family and friends in comfortable
surroundings and partake of great food and drink. He fed the hearts and souls
of this community.
Alex lived his life authentically,
unapologetically and with a creative spirit. He had vision for every ripe
tomato, every spice, every piece of driftwood or rusty metal he encountered. He
loved his family fiercely and built with his wife, Jeannine, a life centered
around community, amazing food, endless curiosity, and constant debate.
Beneath the sometimes-blustery exterior,
he had a gentle soul and cared deeply about the environment and inhabitants of
planet Earth.
In recent years, Alex was employed by
Otsego 2000 as the Market Manager for Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, a job he
loved with people he loved.
The world has lost a bit of magic and is
much blander now that he is gone. Rest easy, Chef.
Alex is survived by his wife, Jeannine R.
Webster of Cooperstown; his children, Oskar and Lukas Webster, Melissa Mistry,
and Alex and Cate Bohler; his mother, Lucy Webster; his brother, Daniel Webster;
his stepmother, Elizabeth Drew, and a circle of dear friends and family. He was
predeceased by his father, David Webster and his beloved nanny, Pat Clark.
A gathering in celebration of Alex’s life will
be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, December 6, 2025, at The Cooperstown Farmers’
Market.
As a way to honor a remarkable and unique
life, please consider a memorial donation to the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market or
Lions Club SNAP match program. Checks can be made out to Otsego 2000 with
“Farmers’ Market” or “Lions SNAP Match” in the memo line. Donations can be
mailed to Otsego 2000, PO Box 1130, Cooperstown, NY 13326 or made online at
otsego2000.org. Designation of funds can be made in the comment line.
Arrangements are with the Connell, Dow Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
