Alice Ann Montgomery

Alice graduated from Coffeeville High School in Coffeeville, MS where she played on the women’s basketball team. She was a lifelong basketball fan whose favorite player was Lebron James.

After graduating high school, Alice joined the United States Air Force, attended the School of Aviation Medicine at Gunther Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and worked in the research lab at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Alice was honorably discharged from the Air Force and was a proud veteran.

After the birth of her daughter, Rose, and son, Bruce, Alice attended surgical technician school and worked as a certified surgical technician for many years at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Memphis, TN and Methodist Hospital in Memphis.

After the birth of her third child, Thomas, Alice enrolled in college. She attended Northwest Mississippi Junior College, Memphis State University and graduated from the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Memphis, TN. As a single mother with three children, she continued working full-time while attending classes. Alice was chosen Outstanding Student Nurse at Methodist Hospital School of Nursing and, upon graduation, was employed as a Registered Nurse and later as a Nursing Supervisor in the Methodist Hospital Surgery Department until her retirement in 1990.

In 2008, Alice moved from Memphis to Columbia to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. She was active in the Christopher Towers Tenants’ Association and loved by all at Christopher Towers. In 2019, she moved into NHC Parklane where she served as Resident Representative. Alice was greatly loved by the staff and residents at NHC and participated in all NHC activities until her health declined. She especially loved painting, Bingo and Bridge.

She is survived by her daughter, Rose Manos of Columbia; son-in-law, Marc Manos of Columbia; son, Bruce Pettengill Jr. of Southaven, MS; grandson, Bruce Pettengill III of Memphis, TN; granddaughter, Jessica Pettengill of West Columbia; granddaughter, Rebecca Chandler of Gaston; grandson, Dalton Harper of Memphis, TN and grandson, Cody Chandler of Columbia. Alice was predeceased by her beloved grandparents, Alice Massey Hendrix and James Hendrix, Anna Neal Lee and Edward Lee; parents, sister, Peggy Lee Langston; youngest child, Thomas Harper and youngest grandchild, Nicholas Manos.

After being a lifelong Methodist, Alice felt God’s calling and was chrismated into the Orthodox faith in 2019. She was a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbia.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, March 24, 2022 at Dunbar Funeral Home, 3926 Devine Street, Columbia, SC, with Trisagion Prayers beginning at 6:15 p.m. The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, March 25, 2022 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral,1931 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC, followed by a makaria (traditional Orthodox funeral meal) at the Angelo Tsiantis Center. Alice will be interred next to her son, Thomas Harper, in Broom Cemetery, Coffeeville, MS.

The family would like to thank the staff of NHC, CARIS Hospice and Father Michael Platantis for all their kindness and support.

Memorials may be made to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.