Alice Collins Fisk - 1/6/1944 – 4/28/2022
Alice Collins Fisk died peacefully on Thursday, April 28th, 2022, at the Edgemere Retirement Community in Dallas, Texas. She is survived by her daughter, Ridgely Fisk Green, son-in-law, Eric Green, grandson, Emerson Green, and granddaughter, Vivian Green; her son, Carter Fisk and daughter-in-law, Chauntelle Tibbals; and brother, John “Jack” Collins. She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Bernard “Bunny” Fisk and her brother, Edward Collins.
Alice grew up in Moorestown, NJ, the daughter of the late John S. and Elizabeth K. Collins. She attended Saint Mary’s Hall (now Doane Academy), where she met her best friend for life, Jean Lendvay. While in college, she met Bunny in Bermuda, and they married a year later, in 1965. She graduated from Northwestern University and earned a Masters in Art History from the University of Rochester.
Alice dedicated her time to caring for her children while they were young and volunteering for many community causes. Alice had a flair for design, color, and pattern, and started her own interior decorating business, Old Wicker Garden Designs, when her children got older. After their children left for college, Alice and Bunny enjoyed many traveling adventures and doting on their King Charles Cavalier Spaniels.
More than anything else, Alice loved fighting for a cause. From advocating for her children to school board elections, she worked hard to help people and places she believed in. Her ultimate fight was to save Saint Mary’s Hall. The school was failing and about to close. Like she often did, Alice simply said, “I won’t let this happen.” She got to work, building up a network of fundraisers and donors, spending hours on the phone with fellow alumni encouraging them to donate to the school. She joined the school board and led by example, giving money for much needed repairs and improvements to the school. Her energy, infectious smile, and dogged determination inspired others to work harder. The school started to attract new students and new teachers. Now, 20 years later, it is thriving.
Everyone who ever met Alice liked her. From her classmates to her friends, to the doctors and nurses who took care of her at the end, they all said the same thing: “She was such a nice lady.” She was often seen walking her dog, Whimsey, and making sure to smile and say hello to everyone. One of her college roommates described her as “a happy light in my life.” That was Alice.
To help keep her memory alive, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alice Fisk Fund of Doane Academy, to support capital projects that will benefit the next generation of Doane students. Donations can be made by clicking https://boostmyschool.com/doaneacademy-alice-fisk-61-fund – and you know that Alice would send you a thank you note for your donation if she could.
A celebration of the Alice Fisk Fund and Alice’s legacy will be held at Doane Academy 350 Riverbank, Burlington, NJ 08016 on Saturday September 24, 2022 at 5:00 PM. Instead of wearing black, which Alice would probably call “boring,” please consider wearing her favorite color – red.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.laurellanddallas.com for the FISK family.
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