Alice moved from Old City in Philadelphia PA to Fishtown, a small neighborhood in Philadelphia PA. Alice lived in a small row home from about 2006 to 2011. During this period of time, Alice gave life to Liam, Adelaide and Franklin. All her children were born at Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia PA. Liam, a beautiful little boy with an amazing imagination. Addie, a stunning little girl with curls and so intelligent. And Franklin, a curious little fellow who is quick and light in motion.

Alice loves Liam, Addie and Franklin with a love that is more than love. In May of 2011, Alice gave Liam a wonderful Fourth Birthday Party. And I was invited. I asked Alice why did she invite me to a kid‘s party? Alice gave me that smile of hers and told me that I was Liam’s favorite person. I must attend Liam’s party. I must wear a sticker on my shirt. Everyone has to wear a sticker on their shirt that notes your name and the role you play in Liam’s life. I thought to myself--that Alice is such a charmer--Liam‘s favorite person--hmmm. Alice has a way with people and you can not resist her charm. My only choice was to attend a child’s birthday party.

I met Alice in 2006. Alice moved into a little house, two doors down from me. My first impression of Alice was “who is this hipster with that big hair?”. I have been living in Fishtown (a small neighborhood in Philadelphia PA) all my life. The neighborhood is changing with new young people moving in. It seems to me that all the new people who are moving into “my neighborhood” are wearing black outfits, wearing black eye glasses and food shopping at Trader Joe’s. Who are these people, where do they come from and why do they want to live in Fishtown? They are going to change everything!

As fate would have it, I learned to love Alice and I learned to change. I found myself telling others--ALISON IS NOT A HIPSTER! Yes, Alice buys me “organic” chocolate candy bars from Trader Joe’s. So what! Alice and her children moved out of Fishtown during the Summer of 2011. Over that five year period of time, not only did I grow to love Alice but also learned to respect her as a person…as a mom of three children.

As a mom of three grown sons, three daughter in laws and six grandchildren, I know about “babies”. I would see Alice coming and going, living her life with her children. Alice would shine as she looked at her children playing outside her home. Alice was in love with Franklin, Addie and Liam.

After a long day on the job, Alice would come home, carrying Addie and Franklin in their car seats into her home and telling Liam his turn is next. At times, all the kids had to wait in the car, until Alice unloaded all the food bags. I would go to help Alice and she would tell me that she was “ok”. I would help her, despite her words.

…and when Liam turned four years old, Alice held a party for Liam. The home was full of people from Liam’s life wearing stickers on their shirts. A grand mix of children and adults. An amazing Transformer Cake and Transformer prizes. Spare ribs from Trader Joe’s. Delicious home made dumplings. And, Alice was in her element; surrounded by children and joking around with the adults.

In all of my photo’s of Liam’s Birthday Party, Alice is never alone. Alice is always holding a child or helping a child. Alice’s love for all children is very deep. One can only imagine how deep her love is for Addie, Franklin and Liam. It is more than love…

Alice Howe Price was born on August 12, 1970 at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. She was the the third child, and only girl,  born to Alison Price and Linda Ann Bricker. She was the younger sister to older brothers Franklin and Lowell and the older sister to her brother Robert.

The family lived in Tuckahoe, NJ until 1981 when the kids moved to Mount Desert Island in Maine to live with older half brother Al Price and his wife Suanne Morse Price -  whose children, Jen and Daniel Goldthwait, were a big presence in the house as well. Alice went to Tremont Elementary school and eventually Mount Desert Island High School. Alice participated in sports such as volleyball and soccer and was voted “Most Athletic” during her time there. 

After graduating from high school, Alice went to Bennington College in Vermont and graduated as an Early Childhood Studies major in 1993. Alice’s thesis combined her minor in French and Early Childhood Studies. 

From Mary Graham, Executive Director of Children’s Village: 

“Alice moved to Philadelphia in January 1994 to take a position at Hartstrings, Inc as an assistant toddler teacher.  She stayed there briefly until she left to work for Children's Village.  In November 1994, she was hired as a Master Lead Teacher for a  brand new toddler classroom.  During the next four years Alice created an exciting and innovative toddler classroom, which was a place for warmth, fun, laughter and learning.  She worked with three assistant teachers and the four of them were exceptional educators.

In 1998, as Children's Village added some new classrooms, Alice was promoted to a new position, Director of Education.  In that role, she was responsible for supervising the development and implementation of high quality early education, one that exceeds both local and national standards.  With her support, Children's Village continued to move towards the highest standards.  By 2013, Alice was responsible for supervising 22 classrooms, a teaching staff of 40, at a center serving 425 children.  She was a mentor to teachers and a support to families.  With her guidance, Children's Village implemented model curricula for all age groups.  Children's Village continued to maintain NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Accreditation, and recently received near perfect scores.  None of this would have been possible without Alice.  

She was a walking resource when it came to young children.  She knew every state and federal educational standard as related to young children and could recite them verbatim. She could integrate Head Start, NAEYC, Keystone Stars and PA Early Learning Standards in such ways that high quality was always the goal. Her skill was taking these standards and translating them into best practices for children, and guiding teachers along with way.    

Alice's skills were well known through the early childhood community.  She worked as a Mentor for Child Care Matters, helping other centers work towards NAEYC accreditation.  She also was a validator for NAEYC and traveled throughout Pennsylvania to access other programs.  She was often called on to talked with staff from other programs about high quality.  She led countless tours of teachers through CV, sharing her educational philosophy and showing them best practices in real time.  

Alice was also involved in public policy early on.  She was one of the first members of the local AEYC chapters for Worthy Wage.  She knew the importance of supporting well compensated teachers in early childhood programs.  She was a voice for teachers.  Even when negotiating with the teachers union at work, she fought for compensation and benefits for staff, despite being a member of the management team.  

Staff respected Alice for her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm!  She was the person staff would go to when there was a dilemma, whether it had to do with room arrangement, curriculum, parent/teacher interactions, special needs children or new programs.  Working tirelessly, she oversaw the total renovation of the center in 2002, all the while with being sure that children were not shuffled around during construction.  She organized this 12 months construction project like a military plan!  Every detail was considered.  

While working full time, Alice returned to school and earned her Masters in Elementary Education from Temple University and obtained PA Certification in both Early Childhood and Elementary Education.  (2001)

In every conversation and in everything she did at Children's Village, her focus was on children .  They were her passion.  She wanted the best possible program for all kids.  Her standard for herself was perfection.  And the bar for others was  just as high.  She knew what we could do as a staff and pushed us to achieve it.

Alice continued to work full time even after becoming a parent of three children. Her son, Liam, was born on April 3rd, 2007 and twins Adelaide and Franklin were born on  May 7th, 2009. Her greatest joy was being able to see her own children every day thriving in the rich environment she helped create at CV.”

Most people who knew Alice say they were drawn to her magnetic personality, vivacious spirit, incredible smarts and that infectious laugh. She was a wonderful and much loved mother, sister, niece, friend and coworker. She will be greatly missed but never forgotten.

"A great soul serves everyone all the time.  A great soul never dies.  It brings us together again and again."  - Maya Angelou