A Celebration of Life service will take place Saturday, September 23, 2023, 2pm CDT at Lake Travis United Methodist Church (1502 RR 620 N, Austin, TX 78734). Immediately following the service, you’re invited to join the family at a reception for sandwiches, cookies and fellowship. Whether you knew her briefly or forever, the family
would love to have you attend and celebrate Alice’s life with them.
••••••
Alice Irene Durfee Draving was born to Ethel Emeline Howell Durfee and Elbert Foster Durfee of Abington, Pennsylvania on December 2, 1932 — the youngest of six children.
Alice passed August 19, 2023 and was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings — Elbert Durfee, Sydney Durfee, Eleanor Durfee, Harlan Durfee — and her husband of 54 years, Robert “Bob” Charles Draving.
She is survived by her brother David Durfee (wife Trudy) and her sister-in-law Alice Draving Kales; daughter Alicebeth Higginbotham (husband Wade), son David Draving (wife Barbara); grandchildren Victoria Gebert (husband Steven), Ashley Trappe (husband Tony Chassen), Michael Draving, Megan Draving; great-grandson August Gebert and many beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and friends.
Alice grew up in Abington, Pennsylvania. She was only ten years old when her mother died. Thankfully her father and three older brothers were very nurturing, and they raised a wonderful young woman. In her high school yearbook, her classmates described her as always wearing a smile and noted that she was interested in everything. She was a majorette for 3 years and the head drum majorette her senior year. She was the student council VP and won a Civic Attitude award and was involved in all kinds of clubs and activities. Outside of school in her Methodist church she was the president of YTC (Youth Temperance Council). That obviously was important to her as she never took a drink in her almost 91 years!
She entered nursing school soon after high school graduation at just 17 years of age, and while in nursing school, her father passed away. She said those were the hardest years of her life and she struggled with depression. She credits her healing during those years to the Lord. Alice graduated from Temple University and did her nurse’s training at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia.
She married Robert Charles “Bob” Draving on August 29th, 1953. Her brother Harlan, who was a Presbyterian Minister, performed the ceremony. After 11 years of marriage with no children they were approached by one of her old boyfriends, who also happened to be a Presbyterian Minister, and asked if they were interested in adoption. In the few days that they took to think about it they missed out on that child but told their friend they would be ready the next time. Very soon after that they adopted their first child, Alicebeth. They loved being parents and 3 years later they adopted their son, David.
She worked many years as an RN and then went back to school so she could get her Master’s degree and then taught Nursing School. She did that for several years, but the need for MORE education was a bug that Alice could never ignore. She went back to school and earned her Master’s degree in Psychology. This time her degree was from the University of Texas at El Paso. Alice and Bob and family had moved to El Paso Texas in 1975.
In El Paso, Alice was one of the Founders of and counselors at the Women’s Resource Center, which offered counseling as well as other services like job assessments and training to help women. When her children were both in college, she yet again felt the need for more education and went back to school for her PhD in Clinical Psychology. Her husband Bob liked to boast that he was paying for three college tuitions all at once. She graduated from New Mexico State University at age 59 and then opened her own private practice and helped many, many patients until retiring in 2007 to take care of her husband Bob who had Parkinson’s Disease. Her favorite people to counsel were teenagers and clergy. Those two groups were her specialty. With a lifetime of nursing, teaching and counseling Alice had a gift for helping people to heal physically and mentally.
Perhaps one of Alice and Bob’s greatest joys in their later years was spending time with their children, and especially their grandchildren. In the 90’s, they moved from El Paso to Plano to be closer to family. They loved giving each grandchild a special week with them over the summers and the grandkids have fond memories of visits to the zoo, Six Flags, and the circus. Alice and Bob have played formative roles in each of the grandchildren’s faith journeys.
After Bob died, Alice wanted to go to seminary. Sadly, this was one degree she did not get the opportunity to pursue. Even still, Alice had a lifetime of ministry. As a youth she was a leader in her own youth group and was the president of Youth Temperance council. Her encouraging personality got many young people to participate with her. As a young adult, she and Bob were youth sponsors and took the youth group on trips and outings and led lots of young people to Christ. Informed by her faith, Alice would not tolerate any sort of injustice and was very involved in the Civil Rights movement, participating in marches and always remaining a staunch supporter. In the 70’s she and Bob participated in a co-op to grow vegetables for folks who didn’t have enough food and they did hospital visits and spent time with those who were homebound for the next 30 years. A natural continuation of this kind of ministry was evident in her life as she led Bible studies and worship services in several retirement homes and care facilities, even as she was “retired” and in her 80’s herself. In her later years two of Alice’s greatest loves were prison Ministry and a fervent prayer ministry for persecuted Christians. Alice said that some of the most beautiful hearts she had ever encountered were those of the women in prison. Until her dying day she remained in prayer for persecuted Christians around the world. For several years at Lake Travis UMC she led a small but powerful group of prayer warriors for persecuted Christians and during the last several years in Richmond she met with her Pastor, Rev. Greg Murks, weekly to talk about and pray for persecuted Christians.
Alice also had a great love for Art, Music, and Animals. Throughout the years, Alice worked in pastels, watercolor, charcoal and oils. She loved drama and good movies and was ALWAYS in the choir of whichever church she was a member of, as well as The Philadelphia Oratorio Choir, The El Paso Pro Música, the Plano Civic Chorus, and the bluebonnet chorus in Lakeway. She and Bob were also Band Boosters when their children were in high school. Alice loved to watch and read any story having to do with animals and was never without numerous pets in her home albeit too many that her kids brought home. She loved them all.
One last thing, Alice never met a stranger that she didn’t end up making friends with. She was never afraid to ask a complete stranger “how can I pray for you?”. Her greatest desire in this world was that everyone should be in relationship with Jesus. If you knew her at all then you know this was true!
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Voice of the Martyrs, which disseminates stories of persecuted Christians worldwide, as well as provides bibles and financial support for pastors and missionaries in dangerous parts of the world.
The Voice of the Martyrs
1815 SE Bison Rd.
Bartlesville, OK 74006
https://www.persecution.com/donate/
