Alice Walkling

Alice Phair Walkling was born in New York City on October 2, 1928 to Robert Aiken Phair and Alice Sabens Phair. She was the youngest of five children, surviving her siblings, Robert, William, Daniel, and Dorothy. Growing up in Allendale, which was then rural northern New Jersey, Alice learned to observe and appreciate nature, identify flora and fauna, and accept the realities of life and death through experiences with the chickens, horses, and pets on the family farmette. In addition to time outdoors, reading was a favorite pastime all her life.

An avid student, Alice graduated from Ramsey High School as valedictorian and went on to Swarthmore College. She wanted to study chemistry, inspired by her father’s work in that field, but was told by a professor “women don’t study chemistry.” She majored in Mathematics instead.

At Swarthmore, Alice met Richard “Dick” Ware Walkling, who was an Engineering major and a Quaker. They married June 11, 1949 at Merion Friends Meeting. Upon graduation from college in 1950, she worked several years at a job involving calculations which she later described as “work computers do nowadays.”

After ten years as a fulltime mother with three daughters, Alice took night classes to earn certification to teach school. Over the course of 22 years, she taught at Valley Forge Elementary School in first, second and third grades, where she was known as a creative teacher and a warm, supportive colleague.

Retirement brought the opportunity for Alice and Dick to travel extensively both in the States in their small RV and abroad. Given their lifelong pursuit of learning, Elderhostel programs were among their favorites. In 2002 they moved to Dunwoody Village where they were active in retirement community activities; Alice volunteered in the Residents’ Association and in the Arts and Crafts studio. Her eagerness to share the joy of art with others led her to organize and provide instruction in various media, and to oversee a major reorganization of the studio.

A lifelong painter, Alice saw the world with an artist’s eye. Right to the end of her life, she observed color, shape, composition, and design in the world around her. She was invited to display her paintings in a number of venues, including the Dunwoody Village hallways, and her work elicited many appreciative comments.

Quakerism was introduced to Alice in her teen years by her father. She was an active Quaker through all the stages of her life, the last 60 years at Valley Friends Meeting where she served on numerous committees and in various capacities, including as clerk. Through her reading of books, essays, memoirs, and Quaker classics, Alice eagerly studied philosophy and religion to cultivate her spiritual growth.

The home Alice and Dick provided for LouAnne, Laura, and Linda was anchored in love and Quaker values, and grounded in common sense. They modeled for their daughters curiosity, observation, and a sense of wonder for nature and for the workings of spirit in the world.

Alice died on May 26, 2023 at the age of 94. She is survived by three daughters, Louise “LouAnne” Walkling Smith (Randolph “Randy” Smith), Laura Walkling Ducceschi (Joseph “Joe” Ducceschi), Linda Walkling Dapkunas (Allen Shaw); by four grandsons, Troy Wellington Smith, Brian Matthew Ducceschi, Andrew Walter Dapkunas (Haley Joan Andersen), Mark Steven Ducceschi (Kirsten Fuss Ducceschi); and by two great-grandsons, Owen Dapkunas and Renzo Ducceschi.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to “Nurturing Minds: Educating Tanzanian Girls,” a project that Alice and Richard Walkling supported both individually and through Valley Meeting. Online donations: https://www.nurturingmindsinafrica.org/donate. Or by check: Nurturing Minds, PO Box 600617, Newtonville, MA 02460

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AllevaFuneralHome.com for the Walkling family.