Ethel Mary Alfreds

Ethel Mary Alfreds, 95, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

Born on December 1, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ethel was the beloved daughter of the late Edward and Margaret Doyle. A daughter of immigrants, she developed a lifelong resilience after losing her father at the age of four during the Great Depression and her mother at the age of eighteen.

Ethel was the devoted wife of the late James Walter Alfreds, Sr., who passed away in 2015. Together, they shared a lifetime of love, laughter, and unwavering devotion to one another. Early in their marriage, when he enlisted in the Army, she moved to El Paso, Texas to support him during his training at Fort Bliss, and served as a source of strength when he was deployed to Korea.

Ethel lived a life filled with family and faith, and she was a devoted member of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, where she was active in Martha’s Circle and the Lunch Bunch for many years. In her later years, she found joy in a well-made dessert or chocolate and watching her bird feeder or the Philadelphia Phillies. Her warm heart and graciousness touched the lives of all who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, James Walter Alfreds, Sr.; her siblings Edward Doyle (Eleanor), Margaret Mitchell (James), Joan Werner (Albert), and Patricia Holland (George Holland, and partner Phil Cohen); and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Nancy and Charles Kramer.

She is lovingly survived by her devoted daughter, Lynn (James) McIlvaine, and her beloved son, James Walter Alfreds, Jr. She was a proud and loving grandmother to Jennifer McIlvaine and is also survived by many cherished nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Ethel's life during her visitation on Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 10:00 AM until 10:30 AM, followed by her Celebration of Life starting at 10:30 am, both held at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, 65 E. Street Road, Feasterville, PA 19053.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church or The Salvation Army.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family by visiting www.MeyersFH.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Hoffmann Meyers Givnish Funeral Home.