Alma Theresa (Fritz) Humphrey

Alma Theresa Humphrey, 95, passed away peacefully on May 13, 2025. Beloved mother of R. Craig Humphrey and his wife Sue of Dallas, Texas, Susan Glascock and her husband Stuart (Skip), and Carol Zarbos and her husband Allan, of Bel Air, Maryland. She was the loving grandmother of Bradley Glascock and his wife Kate, Michael Glascock and his wife Holly, Allan Zarbos and his partner Tiffanie, Zachary Zarbos and his wife JoEllen, Nicolas Humphrey, and the dear great-grandmother of Taylor, Andrew, Benjamin and Madison Glascock, and Luca, Brandt, Isabella and Miles Zarbos.

Alma was born February 26, 1930, in Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest child of Liebreich and Louisa (Durra) Fritz. She grew up in Highlandtown and spent most of her summers with one of her sisters, Marie Wienecke and Rose Heger, who were much older. Alma attended Sacred Heart School and graduated at the age of 16 from St. Michael’s Business School. She began working at Master Loan Service in the old Equitable Building at Fayette and Calvert Streets. She enjoyed dating, going to dances, movies, and ball games in Patterson Park.

Alma met her husband Richard Eugene Humphrey at Gwynn Oak Park, and they married the following year on October 23, 1949. Richard and Alma had three children, Craig, Susan and Carol. They lived in Northeast Baltimore, where they were members of the Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church Parish. As a stay-at-home mom, Alma opened her house to all the neighborhood children who came to play every day. She enjoyed making ceramics and took great pride in decorating and maintaining her home, winning a Red Rose Homeowner Award from Mayor William Donald Schaefer.

In 1967, Alma applied for a job at Sears, Roebuck and Company on North Avenue and was hired the same day. In the Credit Department, Alma worked as a Credit Investigator, a Credit Authorizer, the Customer Service/Complaint Liaison and Night Supervisor for credit card accounts and home improvement sales. She and Richard divorced in 1978, and a few years later the North Avenue store closed, moving the Credit Department to Security Boulevard in Woodlawn. There, Alma continued her career, a job that she truly loved. When the Baltimore Credit Central closed in 1992, she retired after 25 years.

Alma began babysitting her four grandsons whom she absolutely adored, while both her daughters worked. She drove the boys to many of their sports events, field trips and lessons. Alma always said that the best times of her life were when she kept her grandchildren, Brad, Michael, Allan and Zack at Susan’s house during the summers. Alma also liked to travel and enjoyed visiting her son in Dallas, Texas, where she soon became grandmother to her fifth grandson, Nicolas.

In 1995, Alma moved to a condominium in Bel Air, Maryland, where she made many new friends. She became a member of St. Ignatius, Hickory Catholic Church, where she fervently practiced her faith. She also pursued her artistic talents by attending art classes at the Edgewood Senior Activities Center where she learned to draw, make pottery and basket weaving. At the McFaul Activities Center in Bel Air, she learned to paint in oils, watercolor, acrylic and pastels and created over 100 beautiful paintings, mostly in the Impressionist style which she loved. She especially enjoyed making small notecards in watercolors or pen and ink for her family and friends.

After joining the Harford Artists’ Association, Alma participated in the first Harford Artist Exhibit at the Harford Mall where she sold her first painting. Thereafter, she exhibited her work at the annual Bel Air Festival for the Arts, Rockfield Mansion, the Riverview Gallery in Havre de Grace, the Aberdeen Art Festival, Tudor Hall and Art at the Library in Bel Air. In 1999, as part of the Edgewood Community Revitalization Project, she volunteered with other art students from three different activities centers to transform the side of an old building on Edgewood Road near the MARC train station into a beautiful “wall of color,” producing a 70-foot panoramic mural that served as the backdrop for the community’s new Farmers’ Market. In 2002, she was invited to participate in an inter-generational art project called “Bridging the Gap,” and helped paint a mural that is permanently displayed at the McFaul Activities Center. The project had just begun when the tragedy of September 11th shocked our nation, and you can see many of the artists’ strong feelings of patriotism and values in their work.

Alma enjoyed reading and working on Word Search puzzles. She loved watching the Baltimore Orioles and spending time with her family. She lived independently until 2024 when she moved to Lorien of Bel Air after a fall. She was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, always there for her children and adored by her grandsons.

A visitation for Alma will be held Friday, May 23, 2025 from 4-6 PM at Saint Ignatius Catholic Church (Parish Church),Hickory, 533 E Jarrettsville Rd, Forest Hill, MD 21050. A funeral mass will be held Saturday, May 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM at Saint Ignatius Catholic Church (Historic). The committal service will be at Bel Air Memorial Gardens, 809 Rock Spring Rd, Bel Air, MD 21014.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gilchrist Hospice or American Cancer Society.

https://gilchristcares.org/donate/

https://donate.cancer.org/