Alice Mcdonald Ropka

Alice McDonald Ropka

Newark—Alice McDonald Ropka, 97, died Saturday (August 29, 2015) at the Wayne County Nursing Home.

A celebration of Alice's life will be announced at a later date when family and friends can be gathered. Burial will be in East Newark Cemetery.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Organ Fund, First United Methodist Church, PO Bos 189, Newark, New York 14513.

Alice was born July 27, 1918 in Lyons, the daughter of the late John and Mary Worley McDonald. She graduated from Lyons High School in 1936, moving to Newark shortly after and living there ever since. Alice was a legal secretary extraordinaire in Newark for over 30 years, then a secretary at Mobil Chemical in Macedon until her retirement in 1985 at age 67. She was a member and a very active volunteer for many years at the First United Methodist Church. After retirement, she began a career of volunteering, primarily with the Newark Schools System. Alice could have been seen at every school at one time or another, doing whatever was asked of her. She was a member of the local Republican Party and also served as a clerk and inspector at the local polling places. Alice was never one to turn down a request to help out unless her calendar was previously filled. She was so successful a volunteer that in 1995, Alice was named the “Citizen of the Year” by the Newark Chamber of Commerce.

Alice was a fiercely independent woman, living independently in her home until last year when she was 96. The beautiful flowers at her house on East Maple Avenue where she lived for 63 years were mentioned by many and she was very proud of them.

She married Frederick C. Ropka in January of 1942. He predeceased her in 1959 at the age of 49, when she was 40.

She is survived by her daughter Mary E. Ropka and her husband John T. Philbrick, MD of Charlottesville, VA; two grandsons Peter T. Philbrick of Medford, OR and Michael B. Philbrick and his wife Sofia Esquivel Philbrick of Montpelier, VT; a cousin The Reverend Canon Mary DeMetsenaere Taylor of Frankfort, ME and friend Eleanor Bump of Lyons.

Remembrances may be sent to www.murphyandsonsfuneralhome.com