Alice Parks
July 6, 1927 — June 12, 2016
Alice Louise (Topper) Parks, 88, of Greensburg, passed away Sunday, June 12, 2016, at Forbes Regional Hospital. She was born July 6, 1927, in Greensburg, daughter of the late Wayne Topper and Alice (Johnston) Charley. Alice was a member of Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greensburg. She was a Seton Hill Alumni, having been skipped through early school grades, she graduated younger than her peers, and she furthered her education at State College in Indiana, Pa. She had worked at JCPenny store while attending college, then, prior to retirement, she was a school teacher for Hempfield Area School District for 28 years, teaching at Fort Allen, Maxwell, New Stanton and Manor schools. She loved teaching second grade and enjoyed special long-term friendships with some of her students. Alice had a soft heart for charities, an interest in spirituality and holistic living an avid interest in world events and a great love for book and newspaper reading. She loved photography, enjoyed handcrafts and sewing, gardening and letter writing. Through international pen-pals, she made interesting long-term friendships and also wrote to military servicemen and prison inmates to encourage their hope. Surviving are her loving husband, William Matthew Parks; daughters, Sharon Parks and Lori McCardle; sisters, Carol (Ray) Wright and Rebecca (Donald) Hammer; grandsons, James and wife, Jamie Willcox, and Alexander Parks; great-grandchildren, Eric, Cole, Carlie and Maggie Willcox; sisters-in-law, Carrie Topper and Pearl Parks; and several nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Wayne, Robert, Ronald and Dale Topper; sisters-in-law, Lillian Bisping, Isabelle Bisping and Sharon Topper; brothers-in-law, Frederick Parks, William Bisping and Harry Bisping; nephews, William Bisping and Dale Robert Topper; grand-nephew, Scott Bisping; and grand-niece, Karen Bisping. Family and friends will be received from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the KEPPLE-GRAFT FUNERAL HOME, 524 N. Main St., Greensburg. Additional visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the funeral home with Pastor Brian Chaffee officiating. Interment will follow in the Twin Valley Memorial Park, Delmont. For online condolences and information, please visit www.kepplegraft.com.