Alice W. Clearfield

Alice W. Clearfield, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and aunt; of Bonita Springs, Florida and formerly of Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, has passed away at age 88 after a long illness. Alice was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1937 to Sara Byer Wilson (later Sacks) and Benjamin Wilson; and grew up in a neighborhood filled with aunts, uncles and cousins. As a young girl, she was notorious as a tomboy fond of wearing a holster, cowboy hat and guns, and climbing trees. She was also an avid tennis player, and organized a tennis league while in high school. She attended Trenton High School, where she was an active club member, and was termed “a little blonde bombshell” in her yearbook, before majoring in English at Douglas College, part of Rutgers University, where she was a house chair. Alice was a beloved teacher of second and third grade students at Ventnor Elementary School in Ventnor, New Jersey and Pennsauken Elementary School in Pennsauken, New Jersey, while residing in Camden. Former students often recognized her many years later on the beach in Ventnor, and almost invariably told her she had been their favorite teacher. Alice married her husband, Dr. Ronald J. Clearfield, in December, 1959 after a whirlwind courtship, and they recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. She was a devoted mother to Beth Clearfield (Reubin Simantov) of New York City, Jeff Clearfield (Victoria Romero) of Atlanta and Lynne Clearfield (Corey Saft) of Lafayette, Louisiana; and grandmother to David Simantov (fiancée Nicole Piendel), Rebecca Simantov, Ariana Clearfield, Dylan Clearfield, Jay Saft and Auden Saft. Her tireless dedication to her family and keen interest in all the details of her children’s and grandchildren’s lives were a sign of the great love she shared, and will be missed every day. Alice was an enthusiastic and dedicated community leader who served on the Lower Burrell Parks Commission for many years, where she was instrumental in the creation of Burrell Lake Park, and she also served as President for both Sisterhood and Hadassah at Beth Jacob Synagogue, as well as manager of the gift shop. As a tenured teacher she also taught as a substitute in the New Kensington School System. Besides her family and community activities, Alice was perhaps most passionate about playing tennis, and she organized and participated in numerous leagues and competitions. She played tennis multiple times a week for most of her life until recent years. She was also a devotee of symphonic and philharmonic performances, in later years at Artis Naples, and loved attending bluegrass festivals, movie reviews, plays and films, and visiting museums and historical sites, often with grandchildren in tow. Alice was also known for her ability to make new acquaintances into friends very quickly, her passionate defense of proper grammar, her fierce independence and her social enthusiasm. Alice was preceded in death by her parents, her stepfather Ed Sacks, and her brother Dr. Howard Wilson of Pasadena, California. Services to remember Alice will be held at Shikany’s Bonita Funeral Home at 28300 S Tamiami Trail in Bonita Springs at 1:00 PM on Monday, May 19th; followed by burial at Palm Royale Cemetery at 6790 Vanderbilt Beach Road in Naples. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida or to Hope Hospice (directed to Bonita Springs Joanne’s House) would be greatly appreciated by the family. Online condolences may be offered by visiting www.ShikanyFuneralHome.com. Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home, Family Owned and Operated Since 1978.

Alice W. Clearfield

January 28, 1937 - May 15, 2025