Memories of a life lived well.
Betsy Martin: I knew Alice from gatherings at Rachel and Steve’s. She was always so curious and intellectually engaged! She took college courses and had the sparkle of a young person. I was impressed by her independence as an elder, and probably she was always that way, though I only knew her in her later years. She marched to her own drum and then departed peacefully. I find this very inspiring as I’m about to turn 65.
Shay Youngblood: Alice indeed lived a good life. I believe I met her only once or twice. I did not know her well, but from the stories I’ve read and heard about her over the years, I felt she was a friend of my heart. Her work, professional, political and for the community will grow and blossom for many years into the future and inspire others. Peace and blessings to her family and friends. Love, Shay
Heidi Petion: Granma Alice was such a free spirited and positive soul. I remember meeting her through Mark and Majority, It was always good to be in her presence. I always wanted to have parents like Marc and Marjory. I remember living with M&M there was one night Granma Alice was over and she actually allowed me to call her “Grandma Alice” I felt welcome that night cause it was a significant way for me to know that I was part of this family too. Granma Alice knew how to make others feel included, she was an amazing spirit. Carmel
Ken Schafer: I wish I could believe that the essence of Alice was still out there among the stars in some new form of being, but I must confess that I am a pretty devout agnostic, and I’m fairly sure Alice was as well. Many of you reading this may feel differently, and I envy you for it, but I can’t manage feeling anything but that our lives are ephemeral manifestations of our bodies, and when that fades, we are left with only the footprints of our lives as they crossed with others. Still, she left some pretty big footprints for
Marjorie Salvadon: I’m writing with the sad news of Alice Schafer’s transition. I always say that I was lucky to have had Alice, my third mother, who entered my life 22 years ago to accompany me in adulthood, always supporting me as I learned the dance of juggling teaching, parenting, writing. From the first time I met Alice, I knew she was a special person: friendly, curious, intellectually alive, and someone with strong political convictions who didn’t lean “Democrat” or “Republican” — she leaned toward justice. One example among many: in the 1960s Alice and Bert (her husband) were deeply
Scott Schafer: Alice picked up after a few rings the last time I called her, which was a pleasant surprise. It had been hard to reach her lately. We didn’t have a very long conversation and there wasn’t much substance to it, but I was glad we’d connected. She said she was good, and although I thought her speech was slurred she genuinely seemed in good spirits. There was no question that she was slowing down, though. We talked about gardening. Micah played piano for her. I told her I loved her, and then I had to go. Four days
Alice Schafer (from an email dated 8/17/2011): You’ve all heard my story but now it comes with illustrations…. My Toyota Corolla changed from red to black to silver, all in one week! It’s been red for the last 12 years since Bert and I purchased it, and I assumed it would stay that way for the next six years. But no… After driving eight uneventful miles to a routine medical appointment, as soon as I stepped out, I smelled and saw smoke escaping from the hood. With my “Oh, I gotta fix it” instinct, I reached into the driver’s side
Continue readingA Strange Transformation of my car, with Photos