COOPERSTOWN - Alice Elizabeth Coon Stiles, 93, of Cooperstown, passed away Sept. 12, 2024.

Alice was born Oct. 22, 1930, to Gerald and Edna Coon in Needham, Massachusetts, which was a beautiful suburb of Boston. She sang in the church choir, participated in school musicals and played clarinet in the high school band. Alice was the oldest of four children, David Coon, Robert Coon and Nancy Coon Briggett.

While in high school and college, Alice would work summers at upscale hotels as a waitress. She worked in resorts such as Winnipesauke, New Hampshire, Naples Bay, Maine, Gloucester, Massachusetts and in Cooperstown, where she met and later married Letson Paul Stiles, Jr.

After graduating from Needham High School, she went on to study education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and earned her degree in 1952. Letson enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Korea. He trained at Fort Belvoir, Virginia while Alice started teaching in Arlington, Virginia. They were married June 13, 1953. The wedding was in Needham and there was a celebration in Cooperstown as well.

Alice loved living near Washington D.C. and went to many events with other James Madison graduates. She attended President Eisenhower's (Ike's) inauguration and met and had lunch with the then first lady, Mamie Eisenhower. She also sang with groups at Arlington Cemetery.

Letson returned from Korea in Nov. 1955, and after spending Christmas with families, they settled in Indiana so Letson could study at the Tri-State College. After a year, they moved to New York where he studied business at Albany Business College, and then bought their first house in Scotia. Alice worked as a substitute teacher in Burnt Hills and Niskayuna middle schools while raising her three children and completed her masters in education at SUNY Albany.

In 1974, Alice and family moved to Cooperstown, where she worked as a substitute teacher, in the high school library, and then as the seventh grade math teacher until she retired. Alice was very active in her retirement years. She worked a few years at the Village Library of Cooperstown, volunteered in the gift shop of Bassett Hospital, and was a member of the United Methodist Church. Alice enjoyed going to Clark's Gym to swim and take the senior exercise classes. She also joined the Senior Citizen Group, the Red Hat Ladies and a local knitting group.

Alice is survived by her three children, Jeffrey (Helen) Stiles, Tracy (Chris) Perreault and Craig (Suzanne) Stiles; sister, Nancy (Coon) Briggett; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Alice was predeceased by her husband, Letson Stiles Jr., as well as her parents, and two brothers.

Services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Cooperstown United Methodist Church.

To send online condolences visit www.ottmanfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements are under the care of the Ottman Funeral Home, Cherry Valley.