South Deerfield - Alice Virginia (Parker) Laird, 88, of South
Deerfield, died peacefully at Linda Manor in Northampton on May 16, 2014. She was born on
July 3, 1925 in Adams, Mass, daughter of Agnes
(Daniels) Parker and William Parker.
Alice was a proud member of Drury
High School’s (North Adams) Class of 1944, where she was known for her intelligence, wit, acting skill, and
red hair. In 1948, Alice married the love of her
life, Donald Ian Laird, Sr. ("Dingle"), of Clarksburg,
Mass., at the First
Baptist Church
in North Adams.
They were married for almost 65 years.
Alice worked at many jobs in her lifetime, including at Greylock Elementary School,
the First Agricultural National Bank, Jarisch Paper Box Co., and as a library
technician at Williams
College. She retired to South Deerfield in 1990.
Alice had a beautiful singing voice and loved music. In her
earlier years, she sang as a soloist and choir member in area churches and
community choirs. Attending concerts at Tanglewood was one of her greatest pleasures.
A creative, unique, and funny woman, she was an avid reader, always with a book
at her side. Friends will remember Alice’s
generous spirit – her special deliveries of freshly picked strawberries or
blueberries, her small favors or unexpected gifts. She had a special love for
written correspondence, sending newsy notes and special occasion cards on a
regular basis, sometimes including an original (always rhyming) poem.
Alice was a devoted, loving, and supportive wife, mother,
mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother who enjoyed spending time with
her family. Survivors are: son Bruce and his wife Catherine of Port Washington,
NY; son Peter and his wife Jeannine Atkins of Whately; daughter Christine of
New Britain, CT; grandson Benjamin, his wife Kelly and great-grandson Ian of
Greenwich, NY; and granddaughter Emily of Boston, MA. Alice was preceded in death by her husband
Donald, Sr. in 2013 and son Donald, Jr. in 2003.
Wrisley’s Funeral Home is in
charge of arrangements. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will
be held on Thursday, June 12 at 11:00 AM at The Whately
Congregational Church with the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Crosson-Harrington
officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be
made to the Music Series at South Church, 90 Main St., New Britain, CT, 06051
(Attn: Christine Laird, Managing Director), or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Expressions of Sympathy are available at:
www.wrisleyfuneralhome.com
