Alice Leslie Park

Alice Lorene Leslie Park was born in Little Rock Arkansas to Florence Lorence Dice Leslie and Edward Postal Leslie in 1910. She lived her early years in Oklahoma City, graduating from Central High School in 1926. She attended both Southern Methodist University and the University of Oklahoma studying Journalism. Alice and Lee Park were married in Oklahoma in 1932. Owing to Mr. Park’s employment as a geophysicist with various oil companies, the couple moved many times throughout Texas and Louisiana before settling in Midland in 1941. Alice and Lee Park were married for seventy-two years prior to Lee’s death in 2003 at age 93. Mrs. Park joined First Presbyterian Church in September of 1942 and at the time of her death had seniority over any member of the body with seventy-one years of membership.

Mrs. Park volunteered in many capacities during her years living in Midland. She was a Girl Scout leader and also helped her long-time friend, Winifred Morgan, at the Girl Scout House on Washington St. Her Girl Scout involvement plus many other activities earned her the award of “Distinguished Woman of Girl Scouts”. Alice was also active politically, serving for many years as a Precinct Chairman, as an Election Judge, and was a “fixture” at Early Voting. Further, Mrs. Park held many offices in Republican Women’s Club, serving as President among other capacities. She was an active member of the Midland Society of University Women. Mrs. Park served as Regent of the Lt. William Brewer Chapter of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution-an office she held proudly. She founded the Joseph Black Chapter of Children of the American Revolution in Midland and was an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Petroleum Museum, having volunteered for over 1,000 hours. Recently she received the first Centurian Award given for a volunteer over age 100. Plus, she could be found for many years in the very early morning at COM doing her exercises with her “pool family”.

Alice Park is survived by her daughters, Dr. Leslie Jane Park of Arcadia, California, and Susan Alice Eiteljorg and husband Jack Morgan Eiteljorg of Boerne, Texas, two granddaughters, Leslie Suzanne Davenport and Kathryn Elizabeth Wallace, and their husbands, William Wilder Davenport and Michael Rhodes Wallace all of Austin. She is also survived by five great-grandsons, Colby James Evans, William Wilder Davenport, Jr., Jack Robert Davenport, Charles Whisit (Whit) Davenport, and Michael Morgan Wallace.

Known alternately in the family as Mom, Mother, G Ma, GG Mudder, and GG, Alice will be greatly missed for her spunk, her independent spirit, her love of this country and her dedication to her community, the organizations she served, her fund of wisdom, understanding of grammatical rules, and sharp mind. She fought the good fight, ran to the finish, she claimed the Prize.

The family will receive friends from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday, February, 2013 at Ellis Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 2pm Friday, February 8, 2013 at First Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Safe Place, the Deacon’s Fund at First Presbyterian Church or to the Lt. William Brewer Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Alice Leslie Park Scholarship Fund.