Sister Alice Smitherman, Osb

Sister Alice Smitherman, OSB, 81, a Benedictine sister of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas, died November 5, 2015, at the monastery.

The vigil service will be Monday, November 9, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the monastery chapel, and the Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated there Tuesday, November 10, at 11:15 a.m. The Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Sister Alice Smitherman was born in Dayton, Ohio, on March 7, 1934, to Herbert and Anna Mendenhall Leyland. She earned her B.S. in food and nutrition and pursued graduate studies at the University of Arizona. She was director of nutrition and food service and later regional supervising dietitian for ARA Services, an international service corporation in Washington, D.C. She was president of the American Dietetic Association from 1985-87 and received the Medallion Award from that association for her distinguished service in the field. Previous to entering the Mount community in 1991, she had been married and had two sons. After her call to monastic life and completing clinical pastoral education, she served in various pastoral care settings. From 1993 to 2006, she was director of pastoral care and health care chaplain at Visitation Church in Kansas City, Mo. She was also a member of the Diaconate Selection Committee for the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph and chair of the Diocesan Pastoral Care Coordinating Committee. She was a generous member of her religious community, serving on various committees and faithful to prayer and monastic life.

Sister Alice was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Nancy Leyland Gale. She is survived by her sons Stephen, Kansas City, Ks., and Paul (Diane) Smitherman, Orono, Me., grandchildren Nicholas, Jillian, Joel and Lucia Smitherman, cousins Gretchen Martin, Chatsworth, Cal., and Maryann Cochran, Dayton, Oh., and her monastic family. Memorials may be sent to Mount St. Scholastica or made online at the Mount's website (www.mountosb.org)