Alice Marie Hess Brandt Crowell

Alice Marie Hess Brandt Crowell, 84, of Newtown Square, PA, passed away on November 13, 2013 in Newtown Square of pancreatic cancer. Visitation will be held at Overbrook Presbyterian Church on November 23, 2013 from 10:00-11:00 AM. Funeral service will be held at Overbrook Presbyterian Church on November 23, 2013 at 11:00 AM with Reverend Wallace Bubar officiating. Chadwick & McKinney are handling the funeral arrangements. Alice was born in Philadelphia, PA to Alice Marie Styer and Walter Williams Hess on October 20, 1929. She went to high school at Friends' Central School and graduated in 1946 and then went on to graduate Phi Beta Kappa from Connecticut College with a degree in Economics. Alice joined the first class to graduate women from the Wharton School of Business and earn an MBA in Marketing. Her early career included positions at both G. Fox & Company in management training and Atlantic Richfield Company in sales forecasting. Alice married Erdmann ("Bill") Ellis Brandt in 1952. Following his death while serving as an Air Force pilot, she remarried David Crowell in 1958. She worked as an Owner and Co-President for the Old Bennington Woodcrafters in southern Vermont for ten years, working daily, year round. On her return to Philadelphia in 1976, Alice began a 23-year career with the University City Science Center beginning as the Assistant to the President. The science center captured her heart and imagination. Alice's many talents were readily noticed and she quickly moved through the organization in a variety of positions. To name a few, she worked with the Board of Directors and built bridges for real estate development between member institutions, the City of Philadelphia, and other communities. Alice co-founded the Greater Philadelphia Venture Group, introducing start-up companies to area venture capitalists. She also led the Application Development Center, an incubator program for software developers (even before she had her own personal computer). Her gift to the Science Center lay in her ability to see how people and institutions were or could be connected, often long before they realized it. She worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make and nurture those connections. Alice was involved in many charities and organizations throughout her life. Some of these associations were Reading for the Blind, Friends' Central School, Connecticut College, Overbrook Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Children's Village, and Dunwoody Village. She had many athletic pursuits like horseback riding, field hockey, tennis, ping pong, croquet, varsity basketball, lacrosse, and archery. Alice liked to sing, play the piano, and attend theatrical and musical events. At home she was often caught reading, doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles, or sodoku. She was a gifted bridge and card game player, and happy to play a board game, too. Friends' Central School awarded her the Distinguished Alumna Award in 1997 for her service to the school and the Philadelphia region. Alice is preceded in death by her parents and spouses. She is survived by her children and in-laws Nancy and Thomas Reiland, Lynne and Craig Allen, William and Regina Brandt, Barbara (Raven) and Steven Studer, and Marion Entwisle. Her grandchildren include Cassandra Allen, Katelyn and Sarah Brandt, Elizabeth Sullivan, and Amy and Laura Entwisle. Funeral service will be held at Overbrook Presbyterian Church on Saturday November 23, 2013 at 11:00 AM with Reverend Wallace Bubar officiating. The family will receive guests at the Church after 10 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Overbrook Presbyterian Church, 6376 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151. Please write Alice B. Crowell in the memo and the gifts will be deposited into the Endowment Fund of the Church. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Holisticare Hospice, Dunwoody Village Staff and Medical Unit, and the many friends who supported her in life and illness. Alice will be remembered as a remarkable, tenacious, loving, and kind woman. Those who knew her story best saw a trailblazer. No one was a stranger to her and the sparkle in her spirit was ever present. By example, she taught us to be courageous, patient, honest, hardworking, and fair. She will be missed. Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home, Ardmore PA Online Condolences at chadwickmckinney.com