Alice Cropley

Alice (Kerley) Cropley, 61, of Rockford, TN, passed away peacefully in her home on August 14, 2021. She was born May 7, 1960, in Knoxville to Doris and Jack Kerley. She attended Doyle High School, where she met the man who would go on to be her husband of 34 years, Mark Cropley. In 1977, they loaded up their VW Bug and headed to Central Florida, where they raised two sons. In 2011, the mountains of home called them back and they settled in Rockford, where she lived a happy and active life surrounding herself with beauty and love. Alice will be remembered for many things: her infectious laugh and easy conversation, her voice belting out Elton John, her sound advice and calming manner, her excellent cooking, her creativity, and her small kindnesses to loved ones and strangers alike. She had a unique way of making you feel special and included, the kind of spirit that people connected to immediately. She was also an incredibly fun person to be around, her humor shifting seamlessly from silliness to sharp wit. Alice loved to be outside, to grow flowers and plants, to make the world just a little more magical by dropping painted rocks to randomly be found. She loved to travel and be near the ocean, but the mountains held her heart. She adored her friends and let them know by sending the perfect thrifted trinket she found in a garage sale. More than anything, Alice loved to spend time with her family, whether that meant touring Napa Valley, staying at a cabin in the Smokies, or a quiet night around the firepit. Her granddaughters were the apples of her eye and she prided herself on being the very best Nonna to them that she could be. The world will shine a little less bright without her in it. She is survived by her husband, Mark; sons, Mark (Melissa) and Dale (Brittany); granddaughters, Grace and Caroline; sisters, Debbie (Tim) and Kim (Ron); several nieces and nephews; and countless others whose lives she touched in large ways and small. She is preceded in death by Doris and Howard Hendrix; father, Jack Kerley; and sister, Mary Ruth Barker. A celebration of life is planned from 2:00 until 6:00 PM Saturday, August 28, 2021 at the Life Event Center, 1410 Tuckaleechee Pike, Maryville, TN 37803. Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000, www.SmithFuneralandCremation.com To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Alice Cropley please visit our Sympathy Store.