Alice Fowler

Mrs. Alice Denson Fowler heard the voice of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to come home and be with him on Friday, May 2, 2014, at Avalon Spring Nursing Center, where she fought her battle of Parkinson’s disease with love, dignity and great strength. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Alice was born on July 12, 1929 to the late Joe Till Denson, Sr. and the late Katie Terry Denson.

Alice attended and graduated from Fairfield Industrial High School in Fairfield, Alabama, and then attended for one year Miles College (one of the oldest black colleges in the county), before moving to Erie, PA in 1947. She was employed at General Electric for approximately one year and then Erie Technological Products for over 20 years, before pursuing her undergraduate studies at Gannon University. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education and minoring in Social Studies. Alice also received several certificates from her participation in Christian Education and Civic functions. She was employed by Erie School District as both the Learning Laboratory Director and a Substitute Teacher. Alice also coordinated the after school program at the Shiloh Baptist Church, tutoring and planning recreational and cultural activities. At Shiloh, she also coordinated the Self Esteem Program, which gave students the tools to become aware of their self-worth. Her joy was being a teacher (under the leadership of the late Dr. Charles Kennedy, Sr. and his wife Mary Beth Kennedy), at the Community Country Day School, where she taught grades 7-12 for fifteen years. She was honored in the 1998 “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” The students, administration, faculty, staff and Board of Directors were very dear and special to her heart and the day she went home to Glory showed great love to her in prayer, cards, calls and visits. Alice was a dedicated member of numerous organizations until her health began to fail her. Some of these organizations included: MU NU Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Erie, PA Chapter), Church Women United, The NAACP, Conference on Black Basic Education, Adolescent Development Task Force and The Walk In Black History Program. For sixty years, Alice was also a member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Erie, where she faithfully served in numerous capacities, but most notably as the Sunday School Superintendent. Due to her Parkinson’s disease, Alice was forced to give up serving in this very important role.

Alice was a go getter and she loved God first and her family, which extended to her Church family and many friends. Besides her parents, Alice was preceded in death by her husband of thirty-three years, Otis Dan Fowler; her only brother Joe Till Denson, Jr.; four sisters, Susie D. Bradford, Ida D. Bradford, Katie D. Robinson and Ozell D. Stonewall.

Alice is survived by the loves of her life, daughter Lori Lynn Graham and her husband Rev. Jerry E. Graham of Farrell, PA; two grandsons, Airman Emmanuel E. Graham of Vienna, OH and Quentin N. Graham of Newark, DE; one great-granddaughter Milania Rose Graham and her mother Jessica D. Jacks, both of Delaware.

Friends may call Friday from 4:00 pm till 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church, 901 East 5th Street, Erie, Pa. 16507 and are invited to services there on Saturday at 11:00 am with Reverend Anthony G. Harris officiating. Burial to follow in Erie Cemetery.