Alice H. Gernant

GERNANT, Miss Alice H.
Kalamazoo, MI A lifelong resident of Kalamazoo, Alice died after a brief illness Saturday evening, March 13, 2010. She was born September 10, 1921, third child and second daughter of Harry L. and Anna Van Dam Gernant. She attended Kalamazoo Public Schools, graduating from Central High School in 1937. She took her bachelor's degree at Western Michigan University then Western StateTeachers College in 1941, and earned her master's degree at the University of Michigan in 1945. Alice also attended summer session at Columbia University's Teachers College in 1949. Alice began her teaching career in the Fennville Public Schools promptly on graduating from Western in 1941. She taught music to elementary students continuously from then until her retirement from the Kalamazoo Public Schools in 1979 at the age of 57. Her long, distinguished career also included service from 1961 to 1965 in Western Michigan University's Music Department, where she instructed college students in music methods. Alice was an active student at both Central High and Western, and continued her community involvement as an adult and into her retirement years. She participated in Glee Club in both high school and college, serving as president in her senior year at Western. She sang in the choir at First Presbyterian Church, Kalamazoo, for well over 60 years, retiring finally on her own with the wry comment, "You know, the voice just doesn't sound the same now age 86 as it did 50 years ago." Always practical, she also voluntarily gave up driving in her early 80s after a minor accident. Alice served as president of the Delta Chapter and of the Inter-Chapter Council of Alpha Beta Epsilon; was president of the Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, and received their Distinguished Woman of the Year Award in 1992. She was active in the Music Honorary Fraternity of Sigma Alpha Iota; the Kalamazoo and Michigan Associations of Retired School Personnel; the Music Educators National Conference; the Michigan and National Education Associations; the Community Concert Association; and the Thursday Morning Musicale. In her last years, she was active in the Committee To Save the East Campus. After she and her sister Frieda moved to The Fountains at Bronson Place in 1999, Alice continued her community involvement, serving on several of the resident committees and as pianist at the weekly religious convocations. In earlier decades, she and Frieda traveled extensively together, including to Alaska, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Japan, the Holy Land, Australia, and New Zealand. She loved going to the theater, especially musicals. She read a lot; two books were on her sofa, with bookmarks keeping her place, when she suffered a stroke last Monday morning. Besides her parents, Alice was predeceased by her brother Leonard Gernant 1994, sister-in-law Frances Gernant 1995, and sister Frieda 1999. She is survived by nieces and nephews Karen Gernant of Talent Oregon and Fuzhou China; Paul L. Gernant of Traverse City; David Gernant of Kalamazoo and Portland Oregon; and Mary-Kathleen G. Blanchard of Augusta Georgia. Alice asked that anyone wishing to make contributions in her honor direct them to:
First Presbyterian Church Fund for the Performing Arts; Ministry with Community; or a fund she established, the Harry L. and Anna Gernant Family Distinguished Scholarship, College of Fine Arts WMU Foundation. Arrangements are being handled by the Langeland Family Funeral Homes. The family will host a reception to remember Alice at The Fountains at Bronson Place, 1700 Bronson Way, Thursday March 18, between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church Friday March 19 at 11 a.m., The Rev.William Fuerstenau presiding. A private inurnment is planned.