January 03, 1914 - April 15, 2003
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Native son and long-time Rockville civic leader and businessman, John Alden died April 15, 2003 at St. Vincent’s Hospice in Indianapolis. He was 89 years old and in good health until recently. Born on January 3, 1914 to Guy and Elizabeth Smith Alden, Mr. Alden spent almost his entire life in Rockville, except for his time in the military during World War II. A 1932 graduate of Rockville High School, he attended West Point Military Academy in 1933-34 before receiving his business degree in 1937 from Indiana University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He joined his father in the automobile business at the Rockville Sales Company until he was called into service at Ft. Knox, KY. His good friends Dr. Dick and Betty Bloomer had preceded him there long enough to play matchmaker, and they introduced him to his future wife, Mary Faison Covington from Thomasville, NC, who was a teacher on the Army post. They were married on August 2, 1941 and happily celebrated 52 years of marriage until Mrs. Alden’s death in 1993. During the War, he served in the Adjutant General’s School at Ft. Washington and was executive officer with the infantry Officers’ Candidate School in Fontainebleau, France. Returning to Rockville in December of 1945 as a Lieutenant Colonel, Mr. Alden purchased the family automobile business, and John Alden Ford Sales became a thriving enterprise on the South Side of the square until 1969, when it moved to a new building on US 41. He was president of Terre Haute district of the American Automobile Association, and, for several years, he also served as the “small town” representative to the national Ford Dealers Advertising Committee. In 1986, after 49 years, Mr. Alden retired and sold the dealership to his cousin John Alden Ewbank, after which he enjoyed many summers at Hound Ears Golf Club in Blowing Rock, NC. A lifelong member of Memorial Presbyterian Church, Mr. Alden served as an elder and trustee and recently helped to restore the large stained glass “angel” window in the sanctuary. Always active in civic affairs, he was president of the Rockville Commercial Club, the Indiana Farm Bureau, the Rockville Savings and Loan Association, Rockville Rotary Club, and the Rockville Consolidated School Board, chairman of the Parke County Red Cross, Committeeman of Pack 66 of the Boy Scouts of America, and was a 32 degree member of Parke Lodge 8 Free and Accepted Masons , Scottish Rite 32 Valley of Terre Haute, the Zorah Temple Shrine, American Legion Fellenzer Post, the Paul Taylor Post of Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Rockville Elks Club. Governor Matthew Welch recognized Mr. Alden’s community leadership with his distinction as a Sagamore of the Wabash. In 1997, he provided funds for the Rockville High School Community Service Club and established the John and Mary Faison Alden Community Service Scholarship at RHS through the Parke County Community Foundation. Mr. Alden is survived by a daughter, Betsy Alden-Rutledge of Durham, NC, sons John Alden, Jr, and Robert Alden of Indianapolis; eight grandchildren, Kathryn Turecky of Dallas, Tx, Rebecca Turecky-Moya of Costa Rica, and Joseph Turecky of Durham, NC; Amy Alden, Andrew Alden, Molly Alden, Ashley Harris, and John Alden III of Indianapolis; and four great-grandsons. Calling will be at Gooch’s Funeral Home from 4-7 on Friday, April 18, and the funeral will be at Memorial Presbyterian Church at 11 am on Saturday, followed by interment at Memory Garden Cemetery in Rockville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the John and Mary Faison Alden Community Service Scholarship Fund of the Parke County Community Foundation (PO Box 276, Rockville, IN 47872) or to the Memory Fund of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Rockville |
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