Celebrating the Life of Alice Patricia Rutledge

Alice Patricia Rutledge was born on May 7, 1943, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Georgia and William Edward Lundy. While in the Army, William relocated their family from Norfolk, Virginia, to Anniston, Alabama, and then to Birmingham. Alice, the eldest of five girls and the second oldest of eight children, began life as an Army brat and became a preacher’s kid when her dad became a minister and pastor in Glorious Church of Christ.

Alice attended Hooper City High School in Birmingham, Alabama. During senior year, on August 13, 1960, she married the love of her life, David Rutledge. Married life interrupted her high school education, and David Wayne was born on July 27, 1961, the first of four children (David Wayne, Bobby DeAngelo, Janice Elaine, and Michael Scott).

Alice realized that being “good” wasn’t enough to make Heaven her eternal home. So, by faith, she received baptism by water and of the Holy Spirit in the Glorious Church of Christ organization. David soon after also received the Holy Spirit. In the mid-60s, Alice and David relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, and became members of Pilgrim Church of Christ under the leadership of the late Bishop J.W. Robbins in the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith organization. David, Sr. became an ordained deacon and Alice faithfully served the church including Deacons’ Wives’ Guild, Daughters of Dorcas, Women’s Council, multiple choirs, and sick-and shut-in visitation. Alice was also a leader in her community as a Brownie Scout troop leader and trainer for Girl Scouts of America and she volunteered as a mailing/distribution team lead for Pilgrim’s Annual Health & Job Expo making Plain Dealer newspaper headlines.

As a separated parent with four children, Alice went back to school completing her high school requirements at John Hay High School. Despite suffering extensive vision loss because of glaucoma and other health issues and undergoing invasive eye surgeries, on June 14, 1980, she earned two associate degrees simultaneously with honors from Cuyahoga Community College!

Losing her driver’s license to legal blindness did not stop Alice from doing what she loved. She rode the city bus often. Alice also loved the library, the arts, and travel (Germany, Hong Kong, Europe, and within the United States). With her blind cane and backpack, she explored everything she could by foot, bus, train, plane, or ship.

With fireworks Alice Rutledge departed this life on Saturday, July 4, 2026, preceded in death by her husband, David Rutledge; son, David Wayne; parents Georgianna and William Lundy, two brothers, Elmer and William L.; and many in-laws, most recently including Robert Brown, Sr., Pastor Michael Rush, Retired Sgt. Dwight Means, Pastor Sylvester Rutledge, Jr., and nephew Robert Brown, Jr.

She leaves to cherish her memories and exemplary example: two sons, Bobby DeAngelo and Michael Scott, and one daughter, Janice Elaine.  One brother, Retired Sgt. Richard Lundy (Jackie); and four sisters, Harriet Brown, Evangelist Paulette Rush, Apostle Brenda Means, and Wanda Evans (Chris); three grandchildren, Ashley and Brian Rutledge and Monica Kowalczyk (Joseph); three great-grandchildren, Jalynn Wooten, Ja’ Heir Xavier Herbert-Rutledge, and Jade Abra Kowalczyk. She also leaves sisters-in-law Darryl Jean Rutledge, Rovenia Lundy (William), and Shirley Lundy (Elmer), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.