Alice Myers Wald

Alice was born July 21, 1940, in Canton, OH, the daughter of the late Frank Myers and the late Isabelle Hoffman Myers. Brought up in the small-town Midwest, Alice expressed from her youth the qualities of kindness, compassion, and, particularly, a love of children. Among her peers in grade school, she was known to befriend the unpopular kid. As a young adult and a proud graduate of Vassar College (’62 BS Biology), she volunteered full-time at the Elwin Institute in Swarthmore, PA, engaging and teaching children with autism. As a mother, she studied the Montessori method and nurtured her own children in progressive education. She was a gifted pianist who employed her talents to accompany children’s choirs and was in myriad ways a positive influence, encouraging to little children.

Alice was also known for her courage, toughness and perseverance. In the 1960s and 70s, she was a seeker of self-understanding and a student of human potential before those pursuits became widely accepted in American society. Later in life, she withstood many trials, including a nine-month recovery after suffering a nearly fatal brain aneurysm, re-emerging stronger and more independent than ever.

Alice leaves behind her family and a community of friends she dearly loved. She is survived by her two sons, Stephen Wald and wife, Trina, of Madison, WI, and David Wald and wife, Morningstar, of Port Townsend, WA; her brother, Elliott Myers and wife, Lorraine, of Holt, MI; five grandchildren, Sarah and Seth Wald, and Nathan, Dylan and Liam Wald. She was a long-time member of First Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, where she sang in the choir and was dedicated to her WMU Circle 5. She also loved classical music and was for decades an avid member and supporter of the Winston-Salem Symphony.

A celebration of life will be held at 2 PM Saturday, July 12, at the First Baptist Church on Fifth, with Rev. Brent Greene officiating. The family will receive friends at the church for a visitation on Saturday, from 1 until 2 PM prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Winston-Salem Foundation, 860 West Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101, designated for the Alice Myers Wald Memorial Fund.