The Columbus Dispatch

Hollern, Alice

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1928 - 2022

After a long life well lived, Alice Marie Hollern passed away peacefully in the presence of family members on January 8, 2022. Alice was born in Columbus, Ohio on August 8, 1928, the only child of Edwin Columbus Zuber and Polly Zuber (Doyle) who predecease­d her. However, Alice throughout her lifetime embraced as sisters countless women which included her nine sisters-in-law, cousins, and many great friends. She was raised in the South End of Columbus and attended Corpus Christi grade school, graduated from St. Mary of the Springs High School in 1946 and then went on to graduate from Mount Carmel School of Nursing in 1949. She practiced as a Registered Nurse until her marriage to Joe Hollern on September 16, 1950. Alice and Joe raised their six children on the east side of Columbus, and they were founding members of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church where Alice was a member of the Altar Rosary Society. She was well known for marshallin­g the unpaid services of her children to keep the family home on Lattimer Drive sparkling clean with Liquid Gold and smelling like fresh scented lemon polish. All of her children went on to successful careers, almost certainly due to the care, nurturing, humility and splendid example of Alice and how she lived her life. Once they became empty nesters, Alice and Joe travelled extensivel­y throughout the United States and abroad, with family and friends. Alice had more friends in her lifetime than most

people have in five, and

many of them date back to her early childhood. Only recently, she had lunch with her dear friend Marilyn Albrecht whom she had

known since the first grade,

and they shared memories that stretched over eighty years. Alice always wanted to live in Upper Arlington, so she and Joe moved there in 1988. But her bliss was short lived because Joe was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) in 1990 and after Alice was his full-time caregiver for a year, Joe died in December of 1991. But, thankfully, prior to his death, Alice and Joe had been bitten by

the golf bug in their fifties

and played many rounds of golf together with family and friends. In fact, despite having a handicap that was unmeasurab­le, Alice managed to score not one, but two holes in one, even though her tee shots rarely got more than a foot off the ground. Her first one was legendary and occurred at Hillcrest Golf Course where she ripped a worm burner off the tee that never left the ground, except when it hit the one or two rocks in its path, then struck a tree limb, and afterwards a rake in the sand trap, before spinning out of control onto the green and fortuitous­ly grazing an uncut piece of grass that altered its course ever so slightly and into the hole. No reasonable person would have believed it but for the trophy she proudly brought home. Alice volunteere­d for many years at Mount Carmel East Hospital and then Riverside Methodist Hospital, warmly greeting family members of those admitted to the hospital. She allayed their fears of the unknown and made new friends every day that she worked because she never met a stranger. She also volunteere­d for the ALS Associatio­n Central & Southern Ohio Chapter. Alice loved her volunteer work, and it was a sad day, indeed, when her health forced her to give it up. Some called Alice a FOMO princess (fear of missing out) because she clearly enjoyed life, her family, and her friends and wanted to be involved in everything, whether it was a dance recital of a grandchild, a school concert, a sporting event, or anything else that pertained to family. She always had her bags packed and waited for the next, best invitation, whether from one of her children or a friend in another state. She was proud or her Swiss and Irish heritage and Alice and Joe were members of the former Swiss Club and Shamrock Club. To her children Alice was known for her cooking, not because she was a master chef, or that she even liked to cook, but because some of her meals were, well, just memorable; like the red meal, as one example, or her pepper gravy as another culinary tragedy. But those memories, like so many other fond memories of the formative years of her family are what her children hold dear to their hearts and have passed on to the next generation. Alice is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Joseph T. Hollern, her son Joseph E. Hollern, and her grandson

Joseph E. Hollern, Jr. She is survived by daughters, Judi (Glenn) Brown of Dublin and Christe (Brent) Snoke of St. Petersburg, Florida; sons, Ed (Mary) Hollern of Westervill­e, Mark (Matthew Williams) Hollern of Grandview Heights and Tim (Kathy) Hollern of Leland, North Carolina; daughterin-law, Kandi Hollern of Columbus; grandchild­ren, Joey Hollern, Kelly (Neil) Johnston, Bridget (David) Heasley, Erin (Zach) Heiing, Natalie Hollern, Katie (David) Medwid, Chrissie (James) Geobert, Sean Hollern, Emily (Evan) Cline, Laura (Adam) Loewer, Conor (Lydia) Hollern and Joanna Hollern; and great grandchild­ren, Mia Johnston, Mariska Heiing, Alice Johnston, Philippa Heiing, Nadia Heiing, Libby Medwid, Everett Medwid, Nate Geobert, Emery Loewer, Max Geobert, Luka Loewer and Mary Kate Geobert. Alice is also survived by her cousin Denny’s wife, Francis Doyle, who has been like a sister to her for over seventy years. The family would like to thank the staffs at The Forum at Knightsbri­dge, Friendship Village of Dublin and National Church Residences Hospice for their profession­alism and tremendous display of empathy during their care of Alice in the last several years of her life. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, January 17, 2022 at 10:30am at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1088 Thomas Lane, Columbus, Ohio 43220.

Father David A. Poliafico officiatin­g, with burial to

follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Lockbourne, Ohio. Calling hours will be held at EGAN-RYAN FUNERAL HOME, NORTHWEST CHAPEL, 4661 Kenny Road, Columbus, Ohio 43220 on Sunday, January 16, 2022 from 4-7pm. Masks will be required. In lieu of

flowers, the family asks that

you consider a donation to the ALS Associatio­n of Central and Southern Ohio, 1170 Old Henderson Road, Suite 221, Columbus, Ohio 43220 or the Alzheimers Associatio­n, 1379 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Finally, Alice always said that she was content when she was together with Joe and that money and material things simply did not matter. Now that she has rejoined her beloved husband, Alice can be content once again, eternally.

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