Kathleen Alpiar, accomplished businesswoman
Kathleen “Kath” Alpiar of Millsboro passed away quickly and quietly at 2:58 a.m. Friday, March 9, 2012, at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Mdd., after a year-long illness and two-month-long health struggle.
Born Oct. 8, 1956, in Pittsburgh, Pa., she was the daughter of the late E. Timothy Marshall and Marian Marshall, 89, of East Brunswick, N.J. She attended Trenton State College after graduating from E. Brunswick High School, and later completed a signing program to work with deaf and hearing impaired children. She was particularly proud of her Big Brothers & Big Sisters counseling experience, her guitar playing, needlecraft creations, her nine years as a bank branch manager and loan officer, and nine years as a wholesale food distributor general manager and company purchasing agent.
But Kathleen Alpiar’s greatest career accomplishments came in her work with her husband, Hal. They were partners in Businessworks, a professional management and marketing solutions firm in New Jersey, and then TheWriterWorks.com LLC. professional writing and marketing services in Delaware.
With her business functions, Kathy specialized in proofing, coordinating and contracting freelance providers - designers, photographers, illustrators, printers, and promotional suppliers - in facilitating client communications and project scheduling, and in financial management.
As a result of Kathy’s organizational efforts to support her husband’s creative skills, the two won a national book award for Doctor Shopping…How to Choose the Right Doctor for You and Your Family, plus numerous other book awards and national marketing awards for client projects.
She contributed to hundreds of healthcare development projects, and spearheaded managerial coordination for the successful plan and launch of the Pennsylvania Heart Institute; BioMotion of America (3-D motion analysis for physical therapy); Rubberecycle (recycled tire rubber particles for play, sports, and horse training surfaces); Orthopedic Patient Partnerships and Backpackers Spine Health & Strength Training programs (and others) for New Jersey medical centers.
Her business and personal travels took her to over 25 states with numerous visits to Ireland, England, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Dominican Republic, Canada, Curacao, Bonaire, Antigua, St. Bart’s, St. Thomas, and St. Maartin. She liked the West Coast of Ireland best.
Kathy’s favorite pastimes though, featured day trips from home - in both Delaware and New Jersey - to take bayfront and oceanfront beach walks with Hal and her pets. They lived in Brick and Little Egg Harbor, N.J. prior to relocating to Delaware. Kathy collected teddy bears, and small gifts to bring to every host home she visited. She particularly liked doing word puzzles, and believe it or not, enjoyed cleaning; she was very proud of her home and her housekeeping.
She made frequent appearances at Southern Delaware Olde Tymers Softball League games to cheer on her husband and his teammates (as well as the opposing teams), and enjoyed monthly gatherings of her mother’s active adult community neighbors.
Kathy had a magic way with all animals, but especially dogs, the truest loves of her life -any and all dogs - especially her childhood family pet, a wire-haired terrier named Thumper, and her own cocker spaniels Rusty, Maddigan, Sam and Tuckerton, and golden retriever, Barnegat, all of whom her family believes she is now happily reunited with.
Besides her mother, she is survived by her husband-business partner of 25 years, Hal Alpiar, Millsboro; her brother Timothy Marshall and his two sons Tim and Chris, and Timothy’s wife Victoria, Metuchen, N.J.; her sister Lynne Polodna and husband David and their two daughters Emy and Leigh, La Crosse, Wisc.; her brother Bob Marshall and wife Lynne and their two children Matthew and Megara, East Brunswick; her brother Peter Marshall and wife Claire and their two sons Garrett and Conor, Englishtown, N.J.
Kathy is also survived also by her stepchildren Christopher Alpiar (and his partner Tina Stafford), Atlanta, Ga.; Melissa Alpiar, Yonkers, N.Y.; and Haley Murphy and Haley’s husband Harrison, and their three children, Kathy’s grandchildren: Talley, Dylan, and Gwyn, Great Falls, Va.; her brother-in-law Rick Alpiar and wife Ann Papa Alpiar, and their son Christopher and daughter Casey, New Rochelle, N.Y.; her favorite cousins Danielle Dixon-Moyle and husband Bill, Lake Hopatcong, N.J.; and Alex Dixon, Durham, N.C.; and Danielle and Alex’s mother, Claire, Lake Hopatcong, and Betty DeGroat, Tampa, Fla., and Betty’s son Tad and daughter Stacey; and last, but not least, Kathy’s three dearest friends, Melanie Adair, North Plainfield, N.J., Beverly Marsh, Sommerville, N.J., and “Breezy,” her Cavachon puppy, Millsboro.
A special memorial service led by Pastor Gary Hayden of Midway Baptist Church, Route 24 near Lewes, is scheduled at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 14, at the Wharton’s Bluff Gazebo (pool and dock area) on the Indian River, adjacent to Kathy’s townhome in Millsboro. An open house reception will follow. Those interested in attending the service are asked to please bring a folding chair, and plan to park in the less-trafficked areas of the development and walk to the gazebo. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be moved to Midway Baptist Church, 21265 John Williams Highway, Route 24, halfway between downtown Millsboro and Route 1.
Kathy requested that instead of flowers, donations in any amount affordable be made to her favorite charity: the Popcorn Park Zoo, One Humane Way, Forked River, NJ 08731. Please note on the envelope: Attention Renee. And please note inside, that the tax-deductible contribution is for Kathy Alpiar. The Popcorn Park Zoo is a sanctuary for abandoned and handicapped wildlife. Kathy visited there often and contributed regularly to this nonprofit’s efforts.
