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Alice Louise Orsi, nee Meyers, age 91, passed away peacefully at home on May 18, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Hackensack, NJ on January 23, 1932 and grew up in Palisades Park, graduating from Leonia High School in 1950. At Columbia University, she earned a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.A. in Reading Disabilities. She worked as a certified elementary school teacher in grades 3, 4, and 6; as a Reading Specialist; and as a Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant in Fairview and Manchester Regional High School. After retirement, she volunteered her time as a tax consultant for AARP and delivered meals on wheels. She enjoyed playing bridge with her friends, reading books, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Throughout her life, Alice believed that she could achieve whatever she set her mind to--for a woman growing up in the 1930s, this was no small feat. Since she was a child, she enjoyed being physically active: ice skating, roller skating, dancing, and bicycling all over town. She loved her pets: Chirpie, her rooster, and Bunny, her cat. She travelled alone to Germany to meet her husband while he was temporarily stationed there in the military. She spoke her mind freely. She believed that fathers should be allowed in the delivery room and searched to find the only hospital in the nearby area that would allow it; travelling to New York City to give birth to both her daughters. She breastfed both her infants, at a time when it was not popular to do so. She broke stereotypes for women by going to college, earning her master’s degree, and continuing to work in a fulfilling career. She then encouraged and supported her daughters to do the same. Her organizational, tax preparation, and financial management skills were unparalleled, encouraging her daughters to save money with passbook savings accounts at the young age of 5 years. She learned how to use the internet and online banking. She sparked an interest in nature with her daughters, teaching them the names of trees and birds, and to this day both daughters are avid birders and naturalists. Three of her favorite songs were Helen Reddy’s “I am Woman,” Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’,” and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” She ended her very full life feeling satisfied that she had done everything she set out to do.

Alice was the devoted wife of D. Raymond Orsi for nearly 70 years. She is survived by her husband, Ray, her two daughters, Carolyn and Allison, her two sons-in-law, and her four grandchildren. Her love for her family was profound and enduring. She will be deeply missed.

A visitation will be held on Monday, May 22 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm at Vander Plaat Vermeulen 530 High Mountain Road, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417. The funeral service will be private. In lieu of flowers, please say a prayer or consider a donation to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation at https://www.macular.org/