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Dear First Church,

I write with very sad news. Many of you know that Alice Kidder has been in and out of the hospital for several weeks for a range of health concerns and was experiencing significant decline in recent days. Alice died peacefully at around 1 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2024, surrounded by Dave and their children, Steve and Deb.

This news will be keenly felt in our own faith community, where Dave and Alice have been members for almost 30 years. It will also be felt by hundreds, if not thousands, of people throughout our city and beyond, given Alice’s extraordinary legacy of outreach, service, and loving care. Alice was gentle and fierce, a faith-filled lover, and a fighter for countless causes of social and racial justice. Those who knew her well understand that it’s not hyperbole to say that Alice never said “no” when she encountered a person or organization in need. She was unfailingly kind, humble, and utterly convicted in her daily pursuits for a more caring and just world for all of God’s children.

There is so much more to say, and we will be sure to offer time in the coming weeks to let this news sink in as a community and to properly honor Alice’s extraordinary life and contributions. A true saint and prophet, Alice will be sorely missed by all who loved her, and by the many, many lives she touched and changed for the better.

For now, we invite your deepest prayers for Dave and for the Kidder family. May they know God’s courage and consolation in the days ahead. We will be in touch soon about a memorial service at First Church that will likely be held sometime in April.

Yours in faith,

Dan