Alice H. Dempsey

Alice H. Dempsey

Basking Ridge, NJ

Alice H. (Harvey) Dempsey died peacefully at home on March 4, 2014 in Basking Ridge NJ. Alice was born February 27, 1924 in Pensacola Florida to John Robert Penn Harvey and Lillian Buckley Harvey.

Alice was a charmer with a ready smile, a "never met a stranger" approach and she maintained a remarkably positive attitude regardless of the fierceness of circumstance. A single mom in 1950 with 2 children under 3 years of age, she worked for Hughes Aircraft and supported and raised her family solo at a time when few women did that. She instilled in her children an appreciation for travel, the arts and a love of nature. For decades the high point of each birthday for her children was the telephone call with her tooting "Happy Birthday" on her harmonica.

She is survived by her loving husband of 20 years, John MacNeil Dempsey of Basking Ridge, NJ., children Drs. John H. Post and Barbara Post, Dr. Christopher D. and Anne (Ward) Friend of Charlottesville, VA., Catherine (Friend) White and Richard White of Dover, MA., John M. and Pamela Dempsey of Biddeford, ME., Diane (Dempsey) and John Willer, of Rockaway NJ., and Dana (Dempsey) Grenert and companion Thomas Cawley of Myrtle Beach, SC, eleven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.

She spent her childhood in Montclair NJ., graduated from Montclair High School and attended the University of Arizona and UCLA. She served as president of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumni Council. After moving to Mountain Lakes in 1957, she taught at the Harriet Field Nursery School, was president of the Town Club, and was active in the Junior Women's Club. She was also president of the Mountain Lakes Home and School Association and was a representative to the Citizen's Nominating Committee for the Board of Education in Mountain Lakes, NJ.

She also served as director of development at Riverside Hospital, as a member of Twig 21 and president of Twig 25 of the Riverside Hospital Auxiliary, Scout leader and secretary of Morris County Council (NJ) of the Boy Scouts of America. She was a long-time active member of the Community Church of Mountain Lakes and a lover of opera and gardening.

There will be a memorial service at 11 AM on Saturday June 7th at the Community Church of Mountain Lakes, 48 Briarcliff Road, Mtn. Lakes, NJ, 07046. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Church of Mountain Lakes.