McNEIL, Elizabeth “Alice” (Stepasiuk), passed away November 21, 2019, after a short illness. Age 95, longtime resident of Dedham. Pre-deceased by her beloved husband of 68 years, Walter J. Sr. Devoted mother of Walter J. McNeil Jr. of Danville, VT; Paula M. Moore of Dover, MA; and Carol A. McNeil and her husband Richard Hunt of Littleton, MA. Proud grandmother of Andrew Harnett of Seattle, WA; Gregory Harnett and fiancée Casey Shupe of Dayton, OH; and Valeria Moore of Marlborough, MA. Great-grandmother to her cherished Vanessa and Julianna, and Serenity. Godmother of Kim Giampietro of Malden, MA. Aunt and great-aunt to many nieces and nephews. She also considered the residents and staff of The Linden in Dedham, as well as many dear friends, to be part of her family, whom she valued above all else. She was the last of her generation in a large family, which included 7 siblings raised by Ukrainian immigrant parents during the Great Depression.
Alice’s indomitable spirit, self-sufficiency, frugality, work ethic, and belief in the value of education were preeminent and a source of inspiration. She relished the role of neighborhood mom when her children were young. She returned to the workforce after raising her children and worked at Polaroid for 15 years before retiring. She had a larger-than-life personality, complemented by a generous nature and a sharp mind, especially for commerce and arithmetic. She loved a good bargain, finding treasures, and collecting things. She was fond of talking on the phone with her network of family and friends, winning a good game of cards or bingo, rooting for her beloved Patriots, and going out for fried clams. Her crocheting skills were legendary.
Visiting hours at the George F. Doherty & Sons Wilson-Cannon Funeral Home, 456 High St., DEDHAM, Monday, Nov. 25 from 4-7pm. Funeral service in the funeral home Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 10am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment in Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston. In lieu of flowers, donations in Alice’s memory can be made to either St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 24 Orchardhill Rd., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 or WorldVision (https://www.worldvision.org/)