Stephany "Step" Painter Alphin

Stephany “Step” Painter Alphin passed peacefully at home in Winston-Salem on August 20th, just shy of her 88th birthday. She had a generous heart, a deep love for family and friends, and a playful sense of humor.

Stephany was born in Rutherfordton, NC to Allen and Vera Painter. She grew up in nearby Forest City, a small-town pigtailed girl catching lightning bugs, rollerskating in the basement, singing with her Dad in church and venturing to the “big city” of Charlotte with her mother to shop. Summers were fishing at Riviera Beach in Florida with grandparents, eating peach ice cream and picking up shells to hear the ocean.

A bonafide bobby-soxer at Cool Springs High, Stephany spent her teens riding around with friends, spinning 45s, swooning over Johnny Ray in Photoplay, and editing the school paper, The Tornado.

She majored in English at Wake Forest College where she was chosen for the May Court and captured the heart of BMOC Bob Alphin. For the next 62 years they shared love and adventure,raising two boys on an Asheville mountaintop of black bears, snow chains, and copperheads on the porch. Eventually Bob and Step settled in Winston-Salem, home of their beloved Demon Deacons.

Stephany was a sparkler, lighting up the room with her warm laugh, bright red lipstick, and glorious silver-fox pompadour. She had a weakness for earrings (the homemade dangling shark teeth were a fave), rockstar sunglasses and anything lime green. A patron of local artists, her home was filled with whimsical pieces (including a painting of the lunar phases depicted with partially eaten moon pies.)

Every April Fool‘s was kicked off with an outlandish fib and straight face. She sassed as she whipped you in double solitaire, and let go blood-curdling shrieks when the Deacs hit a buzzer beater. During her time as librarian at Charlotte Latin, she was once called out at a PTA meeting for driving middle-schoolers around to roll houses.

A book lover, word puzzler, and crack shot at Angry Birds. A formidable tennis player in her day, and the first Alphin ever to go parasailing. She loved oldies, backyard croquet, blackberry wine, and peaches with peanut butter. She made holidays extra-special, like you always thought they were meant to be, hammering out hymns at the piano and belting Sweet Caroline (bom bom bom) an octave too high.

Stephany is survived by sons Jeff and Kent and their wives Jane and Tracy, her brother Ladd and his family, nieces and nephews, and her wonderful caretakers. We love you, Stephany. Thank you for the sparkle.

A celebration of life is in the works. If you’d like to pay Step’s legacy forward, consider donating to Parkinson’s research at parkinson.org.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh is serving the Alphin family.