Alice McMahon Hendricks Leppert 97, a life resident of Indianapolis, passed away May 4, 2006 in her residence at Marquette Manor. She was born on June 16, 1909 to the late Henry and Helena (O'Leary) McMahon. Alice leased and operated the Indiana Roof from 1940 to 1958 in the big band era. She converted the ballroom into a combination ballroom, banquet and convention facility, when the dancing era faded, while offering both round and square dancing to the public. This opened it up to high school, college and various businesses including Eli Lilly, Indianapolis Water Company, Indiana State Lawyers Association and the Indiana Medical Association 100th Anniversary. Alice was one of the original directors of the Indianapolis '500' Festival and co-chairman of the original Governor's Ball with then Mayor Alex Clark and Marc Wolf in 1957-1958. She was on of the original members of Woman's Board of Directors of Brebeuf Preparatory School which later became the Brebeuf Mother's Club. She was vice-president of the National Ballroom Operators Association (NBOA) and helped convert a Midwestern Association to a National Organization and won two US Supreme court cases. She was a member of St. Augustine Guild, former member of Butler Newman guild, served on the Marquette Manor Foundation Board for 11 years, former member of the Indianapolis Athletic Club and a member of the Columbia Club. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Monday at 12:00 noon in the St. Luke Catholic Church of which she was a member. Family and friends will gather in the Leppert Mortuary, Nora Chapel from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Monday. She was preceded in death by her two husbands, Alvin Hendricks and William L. Leppert, her siblings, Mary Pagel, Helena, Henry, Kevin McMahon, Josephine Schmink and niece Sandy Schmink. Alice is survived by her nieces and their husbands and nephews and their wives, Donna Marie Schmink, Rosemarie Stroud, Kevin, Kerry, John (Anita) McMahon and Mary (Jim) Griffiths, Kathy (Charles) Birtwhistle. Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Augustine Home for the Aged, Carmelite Monastery or Marquette Manor Foundation.

Published in the The Indianapolis Star on May 7, 2006