December 31, 1937 July 10, 2024 Alice Lanford Parcell died peacefully and unexpectedly on July 10, 2024, in Richmond, Virginia. She had a great love for dogs, horses, roses and especially people. Alice was born Dec.
31, 1937, in Grafton, West Virginia, to Stanard F. and Beatrice "Betty" Compton Lanford. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Lloyd Jamison Parcell; daughter, Caroline Coleman Parcell; daughter-in-law, Cynthia Herndon Parcell; and brother John C.
Lanford. She is survived by her son, Stanard Clifton Parcell; daughter, Rebecca Parcell Fass; son-in-law Thomas E. Fass; grandchildren, Timothy Parcell, Allison Parcell Wayne, Claudia Fass and Emma Fass; brother, Stan F.
Lanford Jr.; many beloved nieces and nephews and cousins; her sweet dog, Molly, and cat, Callie. She had many fond memories of her childhood.
Her father worked in road construction, and the family would sometimes follow him to different job sites. One of her favorite memories was of living within walking distance of the Washington Zoo one summer. Other times, she would go to stay with her beloved great aunt, Carrie Coleman Waugh, and great uncle, Wallace Waugh, on their farm outside of Orange, Virginia.
Her constant companion there was her pony, "Patsy." After WWII ended, her family moved to Roanoke, Virginia. She attended William Fleming High School, where she met the love of her life, Lloyd.
They discovered a real chemistry together while in chemistry class! While in high school, she also represented her school at Girls State and on a weekly TV show called "School Time" on which she was the only young woman among five male classmates. Alice graduated from Roanoke College in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and married Lloyd on April 3, 1958. They embarked on newlywed life in Gainesville, Florida, while Lloyd worked on his master's degree at the University of Florida and Alice worked in their research lab.
Next, they moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where Lloyd earned his doctorate at UVA, and Alice continued research. The little family expanded to three with the adoption of Bert, the first in a lifelong series of English shepherds, inspired by Aunt Carrie's famed herding dogs. The adventure continued with their move to Richmond for Lloyd's job as a chemist with Texaco and the birth of their son, Stanard.
A few years later came their first daughter, Rebecca, and then the baby of the family, Caroline. Alice traded in her job as a researcher to become the world's best mom. Just a few of her accomplishments were sewing really cool '60s and '70s outfits for the kids and herself and, later, beautiful quilts; cooking delicious and nutritious meals for everyone but letting the kids eat fish sticks if they didn't like the meal; baking gingerbread men to give out for Halloween; and fruitcakes for Christmas.
She planned, packed, and provided for the most incredible family camping vacations, sharing her love of nature in places like the Smoky Mountains, the Florida Everglades, Big Bend in Texas, and Yosemite National Park. She was a stalwart champion of her youngest daughter, Caroline, who suffered from the rare Prader-Willi syndrome. She ensured that Caroline received all the therapy and education she needed and insisted that Caroline never be considered a lesser person because of her disabilities.
After spending 12 years as misplaced Virginians in Beaumont, Texas, she and Lloyd retired to her beloved Orange County. Here she fully indulged in her love of gardening and even became a Master Gardener. Alice was a faithful Presbyterian who embodied the precepts of her faith.
She was kind and humble, helpful to anyone in need, giving of her time and many talents. Whether volunteering to teach middle school science, helping to build houses with Habitat for Humanity, or sharing the bounty of the vegetable garden with the food bank, she was happiest when interacting positively with others. A service will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 11 a.
m. at Orange Presbyterian Church, Orange, Virginia. Donations can be made in her memory to the Prader Willi Syndrome Association, The American Cancer Society or the Orange Presbyterian Church.
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