Mary Alice (Erb) Champ, of Hegins, Pennsylvania, aged 82 years, 9 months, and 22 days, passed away peacefully at home on October 9, 2026. She was born December 17, 1943 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to Amos Rutt Erb and Ruth Mildred (Garber) Erb.

She is survived by her husband, Stanley, and ten children: Darryl Champ of East Earl, PA; Marlin Champ and his wife, Gloria (Martin), of Jonestown, PA; Nevin Champ and his wife, Wilma (Zimmerman), of Hegins, PA; S. Gerald Champ and his wife, Janet (Hursh), of Texas; Philip Champ and his wife, Sharon (Witmer), of Clayhole, KY; Elaine, wife of Joseph Witmer, of Seneca Falls, NY; Stephen Champ and his wife, Marilyn (Martin), of Loysville, PA; Vera, wife of Brandon Smoker of Ephrata, PA; Vernon Champ and his wife, Emily (Lichtenberger), of Shippensburg, PA; and Elizabeth, wife of David Miller, of Dutton, MT. She is also survived by 59 grandchildren and 51 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Harry Erb and his wife Lavern, of Scurry, TX. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers: Martin Erb and David Erb; four sisters: Elizabeth Erb, Mabel Erb de Lugo, Anne Spangenberg, and Linda Erb; and one grandson, Joseph Champ.

Mary Alice graduated from Lancaster Mennonite School with the class of 1962. She married Stanley Earl Champ of Cabins, West Virginia on November 1, 1964. Stanley and Mary Alice learned to know each other partly through Stanley boarding with the Erb family on weekends as he completed his senior year of high school at LMS with the class of '64. Mary Alice's mother had taught Stanley's father how to read in the late 1920s when she taught at the Champ school in the mountains near Seneca Rocks, WV, and the families had kept up correspondence after that. After their marriage, Stanley and Mary Alice lived in Stanley's home area for five years. They moved to Pennsylvania in 1970 to seek better opportunities for the family, and to join the newly formed Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. Stanley and Mary Alice first lived in a rented farmhouse in the Tower City area, then moved to an apartment over the Grand Avenue church building, before moving to their own house in Carsonville. Stanley was ordained deacon for the congregation, which had moved to Orwin, in March of 1977. The family moved to a larger property in Hegins in 1978, in order to be closer to church and school and the other families of the congregation. The 1895 farmhouse sheltered the family until a new house was built across the road in 2006, where Stanley and Mary Alice spent their remaining years together. The family expresses special appreciation to Gerald's daughter, Lydia, who made her home with Dad and Mom for the last five years. She was an invaluable support and encouragement to them, and lent her assistance to Dad and Mom as Mom took her final breath.

Mary Alice was a faithful member of the Hegins Valley Congregation of the EPMC. She regularly prayed for her children and communicated with them through phone calls, letters, and visits. She loved the Lord sincerely and deeply longed for her children to faithfully follow Him. A viewing is planned from 2-4 and 6-8 PM on Wednesday, October 14, at the Hegins Valley Mennonite Church, 180 East Mountain Road, Hegins, PA 17938. The funeral will be held at the same location, on Thursday, October 15, at 10:00 a.m. Lord Willing.