Alice Renders Abel peacefully returned to her Lord on May 1, 2014, ending her eight-year journey of surviving with metastasized cancer.
Alice was born, raised, and held a seventeen-year marketing career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with United States Steel. She single-handedly raised her daughter until marrying Clay in 1984 and moving to Kingwood, Texas. In Kingwood, Alice nurtured her family into tip-top condition before making new hometown friends in Beaumont in 1995. Life in Saudi Arabia was a welcome six-year adventure, until time to move back to her Beaumont church and friends, even returning to the same house!
Alice always enjoyed combing the beach for "treasures", taking long walks into the woods, worldwide traveling adventures and tending her garden. Alice's lasting legacy blooms continually all around: gardens of girl scouts and CCD children which she taught, social groups sprung into friendships, ex-pats from all over the world gathered into a beautiful bouquet in Saudi Arabia, and an extended family that re-seeds her loving ways.
Alice is preceded in death by her beloved parents, James J. and Alice J. Sperling McElligott; her surrogate parents, Walter and Peg Sperling, and Leo and Maime Heuler; as well as many dear uncles, aunts and cousins.
Alice is survived by her best friend and husband of twenty-nine years, Clay Abel; daughters, Heather Renders and Dana Totzke; son, Martin Abel; grandson, Justin Abel; great-grandson, Jaeryth Abel; and the Notaro family.
Alice was always sustained by her Pittsburgh family and lifelong friendships there, her JARKS sisterhood, and the longtime companions within St. Jude's Catholic community. Alice's constant nurturing investment in others will be missed the most, especially in her role as wife, mother and grandmother.
A Rosary for Mrs. Abel will be recited at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 8, 2014, with a luncheon to follow on-site at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 6825 Gladys Avenue, Beaumont. The casket will then travel to Northside Catholic Christ Our Redeemer Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she will be laid to rest in her family plot at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, May 10, 2014.
In lieu of flowers, honorary contributions are requested to benefit Alice's volunteer organization which "puts faith into action" for the needy: "Some Other Place" Community Services (www.sopbmt.org) of Beaumont, P O Box 843, Beaumont, Texas 77704.
The family encourages sharing memories and comments at Alice’s virtual guest book page: www.facebook.com/alicerabel
