Mrs. Alice Marie Siebert Philp

Alice Marie Siebert Philp, age 94, died on Friday, December 12, 2025. She was born on August 30, 1931, in Lakeland, FL to Frederick Louis Siebert and Lilius Idabelle Perry Lowrey Siebert. She was predeceased by her parents and beloved husband of 61 years, Robert (Bob) Philp. She is survived by her children, Robert David (Beth) of Littleton, New Hampshire; Laurel Perkinson (Jeff) of Columbia, SC; Julie McKeel (Dale) of Durham, NC; and Amy Philp of Columbia, SC; 9 grandchildren: Philip Perkinson, Nathan McKeel (Elizabeth), Caroline Perkinson, Colleen McKeel, Kristen Philp-Pearson, Jonathan Philp-Pearson, Joseph Perkinson (Kailee), Robert Perkinson, Claire Perkinson; 1 great-granddaughter, Charlotte McKeel; and sister-in-law, Elizabeth Philp Brooks of Clayton, GA. Alice grew up in Lakeland and Avon Park, FL, with many summers spent near Raleigh and the mountains of NC. She attended Lakeland High School making lifelong friends during her time there. She left the warm climes of Florida to venture to the much colder climes of Chicago to earn a degree in music in 1953 from Wheaton College. Alice returned to Florida after graduation, beginning graduate study at Florida State before heading to a little town in the mountains of northeast Georgia to teach music at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School (1954-1957). During her time there, she exposed the students to a variety of musical styles, creating multiple choral groups and encouraging students to explore both their talents and their faith. Her former students remember her fondly and claim that if not for her encouragement, they would never have learned to sing. Such was their enthusiasm and passion for learning that they worked diligently to produce a Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera, The Mikado. This must-see event in that rural mountain community was the talk of the town and inspired many of her students to pursue music after graduation. To this day, there are students who remember Alice’s positive influence on their lives, recalling her passion for teaching not only music but about how to live life as a Christian. As one student put it, “The words in the songs that she taught became her sermon, her daily life was an example of Christian living, and her music became my inspiration.” It was at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee that Alice met her future husband, Bob, who also attended Wheaton College and whose father happened to be the Dean of the school. Bob and Alice were married in the school chapel in 1957, and she returned to teach there for one more year before moving with Bob to Atlanta for him to pursue a PhD at Emory University. They settled in Columbia, SC in 1963, where Bob joined the Chemistry faculty at the University of South Carolina (USC). Alice taught private piano and organ lessons and was the Music Director and Organist at Covenant Presbyterian Church from 1965-1985. She also taught piano at Columbia College’s pre-college music department, from 1977-1987. During this time, she completed her master’s in music education at USC. When Bob and Alice transferred their membership to First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, she joined the adult choir, played the organ for the mid-week services, and filled in as an organist, accompanist, and pianist for churches around the state and at Laurel Crest Retirement Community through 2012. During their more than 50 years in Columbia, Bob and Alice were active members of the Young Life Committee. They hosted international students, graduate students, and other young adults who needed a safe place to “land” while sorting through major life changes. They were avid supporters of both local and international missions, either volunteering or providing financial assistance to various entities that focused on spreading the good news of salvation through Jesus to all people. When they made the difficult decision to downsize and move closer to their daughter in Durham, NC, to access specialized healthcare support in 2015, they joined the Church of the Good Shepherd and enjoyed participating in studies, services, and special events. Alice was the long-suffering wife of a long-suffering Gamecock fan. She loved Bob, her family, and her wide circle of friends. Even after a brain aneurysm in 1988 impaired her short-term memory and altered her perspective on daily living, Alice continued to enjoy her life and participate fully in whatever Bob, her grandkids, or dear friends proposed. She and Bob continued to travel near and far (including several memorable international trips), find new restaurants to explore, visit their kids and grandkids, make new friends, complete crossword puzzles, play music, and beat all comers at Scrabble, Uno, Dominoes, and even Putt-Putt! Alice and Bob were “regulars” at the local Lizard’s Thicket restaurant in Columbia. The grandkids remember her frequent requests to pass the “Apple Buttah” down to her end of the table. She spent so many happy hours by Bob’s side wherever life took them. Most of all, she loved being with her grandchildren and friends. Alice was a witty, sweet, charming Southern lady, and a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be missed by many. Plans are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Shives Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Designated World Missions Fund or the Organ/Sanctuary Project at First Presbyterian Church, 1324 Marion Street, Columbia, SC 29201, or the Missions Ministry/GO Team of Church of the Good Shepherd, 3741 Garrett Road, Durham, NC 27707.

Tributes

Mrs. Alice Marie Siebert Philp

August 30, 1931 - December 12, 2025