Sara Frances Alles

1927 - 2021

Sara Frances (Gruenewald) Alles
September 1, 1927 - June 25, 2021
Fort Worth, Texas - After 93 years of a full and active life, Frances peacefully passed away from Alzheimer's.
Frances grew up in River Oaks and Fort Worth, graduating from North Side High School in 1944 at the age of 16. She received a Physical Education degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and then began her career teaching in the small towns of Tularosa, N.M. and El Campo, Texas.
In 1950, she was hired as a PE teacher at Arlington Heights High School and later became the first woman High School Principal in the Fort Worth School District at that same school in 1981. She also taught at Morningside Junior High, Paschal HS, and Western Hills HS. Except for her first two years teaching and two years being a dairy farmer's wife in Michigan, she has lived around the Fort Worth area. Frances was not only an educator but a lifelong learner with many talents. She obtained a MS of Education Administration from North Texas State University. She was an accomplished artist who loved sharing her artwork with friends and family while continuing art lessons until 2020. She enjoyed the outdoors and making family memories whether she was at the lake, on the ski slopes with her children and grandchildren, camping with family and friends in Colorado or spending time with her great-grandchildren. She also dedicated herself to researching and documenting her mother's family history and traveled the migration path from Chickasha, Okla. to Pennsylvania to western Europe. Known for her quick wit and endearing personality, Frances leaves her family with a legacy of love and appreciation for all of life's adventures and opportunities.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert "Bob" Alles; mother and father, Edith and Art Gruenewald; and brothers, Gary and Joseph McCalla.
She is survived by three sons and their spouses, Jim and Deborah Alles of N.J., Jerry and Sherrill Alles of Colo. and Ken and Belinda Alles of Texas. She is also survived by six grandchildren and spouses, Brad and Sarah Alles, Doug and Rachel Alles, Craig Alles, Amanda and Bernie Tomassetti, Kendall Alles and Kristopher and Lacy Alles; as well as four great-grandchildren, Mary Jane, Molly, Madeline and Maxwell; and her brother, Richard McCalla.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Alzheimer's Association to help treat and prevent this devastating disease.