Alice Hoadley Cummings
Alice Hoadley Cummings, 87, of Hinsdale, formerly of Western Springs, a prolific, accomplished pianist and teacher, passed away peacefully at Oak Trace in Downers Grove, Illinois on October 2, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. Throughout her life, she was a sought-after piano teacher, admired for her artistry and her ability to understand music and impart that knowledge to her students. She had a reputation as a firm and demanding, yet kind and knowledgeable instructor. Over her 65-year career teaching and performing, Alice touched the lives of hundreds of children and adults. Her goal was to educate and bring a love of music to others, and to teach her pupils some of life’s lessons along the way.
The younger of two children, Alice was born in Kansas City, Kansas on February 12, 1932 to Lee S. Curtis and Velva Low Curtis. She began her musical education in Chicago at Sherwood Music School at the age of five. As a teenager, her family moved to Indianapolis where she continued her piano studies at the Jordan Conservatory of Music. She went on to study piano with the late Marie Zorn at Indiana University School of Music where she earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and was awarded the nationally recognized Performer’s Certificate.
In 1954 Alice married Eugene Hoadley, and they had three children, Allison, Bill, and Steve. While raising her family, she kept up with her teaching and performing. At one point she was teaching over 120 students with lessons squeezed in before and after school, lunchtime, in the evenings, and on weekends. She later said that her students helped her through a very difficult time when her husband Gene died prematurely in an accident.
Alice later remarried and was widowed twice more, and her last husband, Edward Cummings, often said she had a great mind and vibrant spirit, always cultivating a lifetime of knowledge from music, travel, and friends. She enjoyed exploring many avenues of learning, participating in current events classes, book clubs, the American Association of University Women, Allied Arts Club, and the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. She was a longtime member of the Hinsdale Music Club, Western Springs Music Club, and Downers Grove Music Club. She read voraciously and traveled extensively to over 150 countries, enjoying such activities as hot-air ballooning, parasailing, elephant rides in Thailand, and camel rides in Egypt. People gravitated toward her because she was always smiling, upbeat, and fun to be around.
Alice was an active member of Christ Church of Oak Brook since 1967. Perhaps her greatest joy was her tradition of playing the Offertory on the piano every Mother’s Day for many years, as a tribute to her own mother. Through her involvement in Christ Church, Alice’s faith in the Lord steadily grew stronger, and it was her faith that carried her through her illnesses in recent years. Her favorite Scripture was Psalm 69:29-30: “By Thy saving power, O God, lift me high above my pain and my distress, then I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.”
Alice is survived by her children Allison Hanscom (Douglas), William Hoadley (Dennis Clausen), and Stephen Hoadley; her grandchildren Kari Phillipp (James), Abigail Hanscom, Julie Hoadley, and Peter Hoadley; her great-grandsons Aiden Phillipp and Liam Phillipp; her sister-in-law Nancy Ericksen; her nephews Charles Curtis Jr. (Baine Alexander), Robert Curtis, and Jonathan Hoadley; and many great- nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother Charles G. Curtis; her husbands Eugene Hoadley, Paul Richard Schrader, and Edward Cummings; her sister-in-law Donna Curtis Samuels; her nephew Jeffrey Ericksen; and her great-niece Frieda Curtis.
Visitations will be held from 3 to 9 pm Tuesday, October 8 at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 1025 W. 55th St., Countryside, and at 9:30 am Wednesday, October 9 at Christ Church of Oak Brook, 501 Oak Brook Rd., Oak Brook, with a funeral service to follow at 10:30 am. Interment will be at Bronswood Cemetery, Oak Brook.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Christ Church of Oak Brook Music Department, 501 Oak Brook Rd., Oak Brook, IL 60523, 630-654-1882, https://www.christchurch.us
To the Curtis, Hoadley, Schrader and Cummings families ’our sincere condolences to each of you!
To Steve Hoadley and family,
Our sincere condolences. We enjoyed our interactions with your Mom albeit too brief.
Matthew Dillon and Gary Reilly
I was just made aware of Mrs Hoadley’s passing. I took piano lessons from her in the 50’s from first through sixth grade. She was pretty strict and always caught me when I hadn’t practiced. I learned a lot from her and considered majoring in voice at college, but chose Elementary Education instead. My music education from Mrs Hoadley helped me so much. I’m sure her kids, grandkids, etc. are very proud of her.
Mrs. Hoadley was my piano teacher from 1982-1985 and she instilled in me a lifelong love of the piano. Her teaching style, devotion and passion for the piano is something I’ll always remember. She brought out the beauty in the pieces she selected for me to learn by teaching the expression, proper fingering, pedaling, etc. Her extensive knowledge of these exercises and pieces helped me progress and I now appreciate her ability to keep me moving forward with the piano. I still have my lesson notebook and songbooks which I revisit. When I see her notes, circles and stars on these pages it brings back pleasant memories. Although I’m sad that she has passed, my hope is that Mrs. Hoadley is celebrating music for eternity with God in heaven.