Alice R Ramsey

Alice Rutledge Smith Ramsey was born March 9, 1932, in Montgomery, Alabama, the daughter of Carol Castleman Smith, Sr. and Edith Manson Stollenwerk Smith. She died peacefully on Thursday, February 12, 2026, surrounded by loving family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Anne Smith Weatherford; brothers, Admiral Carol Castleman Smith Jr. and Colonel Charles Stollenwerk Smith; and her husband of 53 years,

Richard Johnson (Dick) Ramsey, Sr. of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

She attended public schools in Greensboro and Decatur Alabama, where she graduated as Valedictorian and was named “most athletic” of the class of 1950. She studied at Swarthmore College

in Pennsylvania, receiving a BS in Mathematics and Fine Arts in 1954. After college, she worked as Assistant to the Chaplain at Canterbury Chapel, the Episcopal Student Center at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where she met her future husband, Dick. They were married there by the Rev. Emmett Gribben in August 1957. They lived for 11 years on Signal Mountain, Tennessee where their three sons were born, then moved in 1968 to Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga. In 2007 the couple celebrated 50 years of marriage with family and friends.

Alice was the descendant of two signers of the Declaration of Independence and the first Episcopal Bishops of Alabama and Kentucky. As a teenager, she was active in church groups and attended many years of Camp McDowell in Alabama as a camper and counselor. She attended St. Timothy’s on Signal Mountain as well as St. Paul’s and Grace Church in Chattanooga. For many years Alice was the Diocesan Coordinator and a Mentor for Education for Ministry, a program of theological education created by the School of Theology in Sewanee. She was a long-time associate of the

Community of St. Mary in Sewanee, Tennessee, before joining the community as an Oblate. After her husband Dick’s death in 2011, she moved to a house owned by the community and lived there for six years.

Active in civic life, Alice was a founding member and served on the Panel of American Women, an organization dedicated to racial, religious, and social understanding. Alice and Dick’s extensive travel included trips to Japan, China, Europe, and all around the United States, largely to visit family and friends; they felt a special connection to Ireland and the Scottish Isles. Alice and her family were part of a group of families that developed close bonds during spring breaks at Seagrove Beach on the Florida Gulf Coast.

Alice is survived by sons, Richard (Gretchen) of Olympia, Washington, David (Sarah) of Indianapolis, Indian, and John (Birgit), of Blaine, Washington; granddaughters, Julia Ramsey-Tharp (Drew) of Indianapolis, Indiana, Eliza Ramsey of Anchorage, Alaska and Grace, Jane, and Kiliana Ramsey of Blaine, Washington; grandsons, Christopher Ramsey (Mae) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jeremiah Ramsey of Blaine Washington, John Middleton Ramsey of Cologne, Germany and Ian Van Dusen of Bozeman, Montana; and great-granddaughters, Sabina, Marcella, and Althea Tharp of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Other special survivors are her niece, Mary Jo Bradbury Bryan of Atlanta, Georgia; sisters-in-law, Bets Ramsey of Nashville, Tennessee and Nanette Brown of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee; and many beloved nieces and nephews. Joy Jones, Gail Dooley, and Linda Wideman were steadfast friends along with Sisters Elizabeth and Hannah from the Community of St. Mary Sewanee, Tennessee.

In celebration of this remarkable life a Memorial Eucharist will be held at her beloved Grace Episcopal Church at 20 Belvoir Avenue in Chattanooga, on Friday March 13th, 2026; with a Visitation beginning at 1:00 pm EDT, a Memorial Service at 2:00 pm EDT, followed by a reception in the undercroft to share stories and tributes.

The family would like to thank the staff of The Lantern of Chattanooga for their devoted care. Hearth Hospice of Chattanooga provided valuable assistance at the end of life.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Church, the Community of St. Mary, Sewanee, or the charity of your choice.

Arrangements entrusted to Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services Franklin -Strickland Chapel, 1724 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN, 37404, 423-265-4414.

Please visit our website to share your memories of Alice: www.advantagefranklin-strickland.com