And she was the kind of mother, raising two boys singlehandedly, who reminded them after receiving accolades to focus on what they could do for others rather than on themselves.
Indeed, when 103-year-old Alice Marshall died May 16 of congestive heart failure, Springfield not only lost one of its most beloved residents. It lost a cheerleader, neighborhood mom, “mother-in-love” and a “mighty mouse” who fiercely loved her family, students, the Springfield community, God and all people.
“Mom was a builder of bridges for all people, and that started with her working as a teacher and the many students she worked with over the years,” said her youngest son, Michael “Mike” Marshall of Dayton. “She was always trying to better everyone she talked to. She met no strangers and was cordial to all people. You can see that as well in her community service.”
She volunteered in a variety of capacities at Covenant Presbyterian Church, where she was a member for more than 60 years. Marshall was an active member of the Rho Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, achieving diamond status for her 75-plus years of service. She also volunteered for the Springfield Arts Council, served on the board of the Retired Teachers Association and was a member of the Springfield Teachers Retirement Set.
This service garnered Alice Marshall numerous awards throughout her lifetime, including:
- Last year, the Lagonda Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored her with its first community service award.
- On her 100th birthday on Dec. 4, 2021, the city of Springfield awarded her the keys to the city and issued a proclamation dedicating it “Alice Marshall Day.”
- The Springfield Foundation’s African-American Community Fund honored Marshall for her community service in 2017.
- The Springfield Foundation named her an Extraordinary Woman in 2014.
- Upon her retirement in 1987, Marshall earned Springfield City Schools’ Exemplary Teacher Award and, after retirement, the West Virginia Hall of Fame Teachers Award.
In addition, she received a community service award from the Springfield Urban League and a 2016 Music Legacy Award. The Alice Marshall Music Legacy Scholarship Award was created to honor her profound legacy.
However, Marshall was forever humble despite these many awards.
“She was never one to boast about recognitions,” said her oldest son, Reginald “Reggie” Marshall, of Charlotte, North Carolina. “She appreciated it but just moved on to the next project, the next opportunity.”
Marshall’s sons credit their success in life and business to their mother.
“She was a big disciplinarian,” Reggie Marshall said. “While I didn’t always like that, it prepared me to deal with the many different things in life. She taught us to always be the best that you can be, never give up and have confidence in yourself.”
Mike Marshall agreed, adding, “I will always appreciate the things she did and the sacrifices she made to make sure Reggie and I were in the best position to be successful. She passed that on to my two boys and gave them confidence in what they were doing. She was at all their band concerts and athletic events. She was always building them.”
When Mike took his mom out to lunch, they frequently encountered former students who would pay for her meal and tell Alice Marshall how much she meant to them and the profound impact she had on their lives.
“She would remember those students. Her memory for her age was just remarkable,” Mike said. “Students would tell me, ‘Your mom was one of the few teachers who cared about what our lives would be like in the future.’”
To build her family’s future, she them to Springfield’s western hills neighborhood in 1965 from her home state of West Virginia to teach music at Keifer Junior High School. In 1970, she became the vocal music teacher and choir director at Springfield South High School, where she worked until her retirement.
“When you thought of South High School, you thought of Alice Marshall,” said former student Edwina Blackwell-Clark. “She was strict, but everyone really wanted to be in choir and loved Mrs. Marshall. People not in choir knew her because she was a strong supporter of athletics.
“She was very relatable,” Blackwell-Clark added. “She was like the neighborhood mother in the sense you knew she cared deeply about supporting the students and rooting for them to do great things. She was kind and compassionate, but she strove for excellence.”
Blackwell-Clark also had an adult relationship with Marshall: They were fellow sorority sisters and one of Marshall’s daughters-in-law — Mike’s wife, Melanie Marshall — is Blackwell-Clark’s sister.
“Mrs. Marshall would be invited to and would come to class reunions,” Blackwell-Clark said. “I can’t tell you how much she was valued. She had such a high level of respect in the community. I’ve been at events where former students from 30, 40 and even 50 years ago wanted to say hello, give her a hug and relate a story. That is evidence of the tremendous impact she had on generations of students. She wasn’t putting on fronts as a teacher. That love was truly coming from her heart.”
Before moving to Springfield, Alice Marshall taught music and English at Elkhorn High School in West Virginia for 21 years, starting in 1944.
Her sons recounted her tough start in life as a premature baby weighing only 3 pounds. Her twin sister, who weighed 6 pounds, died after three days.
“Mom wasn’t expected to live,” Mike Marshall said. “She battled and came through that and kept that positive mindset for life.”
That rugged determination Alice Marshall demonstrated literally from birth was evident throughout her life.
“She definitely was in a class all by herself when it comes to being a remarkable person,” said Jody Noble, who was Alice Marshall’s pastor for nearly three years at Covenant Presbyterian Church. “She was this little spit of a woman, but she was a do-not-quit kind of woman. She helped keep me going, and she had 43 years on me.
“I just loved spending time with her because she was a source of light in so many ways,” Noble added. “She created an incredible legacy through all of her involvement in our community.”
When Noble asked Marshall to help her serve communion during the church’s monthly service at Oakwood Village, Marshall was hesitant due to her voice faltering in her later years. However, Marshall ended up not only participating but enticing many Oakwood Village residents to attend services.
She also encouraged fellow residents to attend exercise classes and join her in the cafeteria for healthy meals.
“She was making friends up until the very end,” Mike Marshall said. “That camaraderie kept her going. She didn’t let things bother her and got along with everyone.”
And everyone agreed Alice Marshall’s bridge-building gift is a big part of her legacy.
“She worked for peace and reconciliation in our community between churches for the good of our community,” Noble said. “She worked quietly behind the scenes and always found a way to make what seemed impossible possible.
“That is a lesson for us all in these days in which we allow our differences to separate us,” Noble added. “She always said the worst thing we can do is give up on each other. … She saw Springfield as a place where everyone could have a home. Being born in 1921, she’d seen wars, depressions, race riots and the changing of how you’re seen as a human being, as a woman and as a person of color. She witnessed so much in her life, and she never let bitterness, hatred or cynicism take over her purpose. She believed in people’s capacity for goodness.”
Reggie Marhsall said his mother was deeply influenced by her father, a Presbyterian minister, and she passed on many of his lessons.
“She lived and was able to show others a great path for life and how to live,” he said.
Alice Marshall’s visitation was Wednesday, May 28, at her church, Covenant Presbyterian, and her memorial service was Thursday, May 29. She is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery.
Read more about Alice Marshall in her obituary.
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