Alice Laham

May 3, 1926 – Nov. 23, 2021

Alice was the youngest of five children born to Espir and Ida Acal, first-generation immigrants to Canada from Lebanon. Born in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, she grew up in Kapuskasing, a small lumber town in Northern Ontario. Like her two sisters, she worked in her parents' clothing store on the town square, where it was customary to shut down for tea time every afternoon. Alice was the first woman in her family to go to college, earning a Master's degree in psychology from the University of Toronto. One of her fancy hats (wearing hats and high heels was her signature look) caught the attention of Philip Laham at a 1947 Lebanese social convention in Cleveland, Ohio. They married two years later, which is when she moved to Wichita. She later became a U.S. citizen, although she forever referred to Queen Elizabeth II, born the week before Alice, as "my Queen." During her 44- year marriage she had two daughters: Cheryl, born in 1950, and Valerie, in 1953. Alice helped her blind father-in-law, Thomas Laham, teach the adult Sunday school class at St. George, and continued to do so for many years after his death. Her favorite Bible passage, even during times of challenge or duress, was "In all things give thanks" (I Thess. 5:18). Her helpful spirit was reflected in her volunteer work for both Pan-Hellenic Association and Assistance League. She was a frequent co-chair of the annual St. George 'Big Dinner.' Having been warmly welcomed to Wichita as a new bride, she made a point of always welcoming those who were new to her community. Capable of making a gourmet meal out of little or nothing, Alice was known for (and proud of) her spaghetti sauce. Alice's pastimes included playing duplicate bridge, trips abroad with church friends, spending time with her beloved 'adopted' family, the Jazayerlis, following the stock market, and talking politics. She never turned down a chance to visit a casino and was always up for a card game with her friends and family. She is survived by her two daughters and their spouses; two grandchildren and their spouses, two great-grandchildren, numerous godchildren, and more than a dozen nieces and nephews, all of whom cherish her warm and generous spirit. Donations in her memory may be made to Christ the Savior Academy, an Orthodox classical school, or The Treehouse, a ministry for mothers in need.