Remembering Alice Goodfellow Davis
Alice Goodfellow Davis was a feminist, pioneer, and lifelong advocate for peace and justice. She brought conviction, imagination, and a deep sense of responsibility to creating a more just and compassionate world. From challenging gender inequities as a young woman, to supporting gay men during the AIDS crisis, to addressing racial disparities in infant mortality in Wilmington, to nurturing community through Wilmington’s urban farm, Alice consistently saw both injustice and possibility—and believed we could do something about them.
Alice brought that same vision and determination to Delaware Pacem in Terris. She first became involved through Pacem’s vigils opposing the Iraq War and went on to serve multiple terms on the Board, including as secretary. But her leadership went far beyond a board title. She rolled up her sleeves for the work—from mailings and events to hanging artwork for Pacem’s Visionary Peace Youth Art Exhibition at The Delaware Contemporary and the Traveling Peace Youth Art Exhibition at Blue Ball Barn. She helped build Pacem, literally and figuratively.
Alice’s greatest impact came during pivotal moments in Pacem’s evolution. She helped champion the organization’s shift from primarily responding to international conflict and protesting war toward proactively building peace in our own community. She understood the power of investing in young people, the arts, relationships, and the skills of peacebuilding. As a member of the inaugural Youth Arts for Peace committee in 2017, she helped lay the foundation for a program that became central to Pacem’s future. During the 2021 strategic transformation, she helped shape and champion the vision of local, proactive peacebuilding that guides our work today.
Alice also provided essential leadership through some of Pacem’s most challenging transitions. As a member of the executive team, she helped guide the organization through executive director transitions and the uncertainty of the pandemic, providing continuity, wisdom, and a steady focus on mission. She helped shape Pacem’s co-director leadership model and, throughout these changes, brought the same qualities that defined her leadership: thoughtful, collaborative, courageous, and willing to help build the way forward.
Alice gave Pacem not only her time and wisdom, but extraordinary generosity. Though she and Tom chose to live modestly, Alice believed deeply in putting her resources behind the values she held. Her financial support was another expression of her leadership—an investment in the people, ideas, and institutions she believed could create a more peaceful future.
We were extraordinarily fortunate to have Alice with us at such consequential moments in Pacem’s history. She helped us see what Pacem could become, helped build the programs and relationships to make that vision real, and helped steady the organization through times of profound change. She gave us her ideas, her energy, her leadership, her resources—and, most importantly, her belief in what was possible. We miss her deeply, but her spirit and vision remain woven into Pacem’s work.