As the economic dynamic of the country changed from the atomic age of single-income families to the necessity of multiple wage earners, Alethea jumped right in, Initially, she worked in the family hardware and lumber business, but eventually branched out as a paid employee for various not-for-profit organizations, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Valley Interfaith Council.  

The 1960’s and 1970’s were pivotal times in Alethea’s life. Alethea threw herself into many causes and concerns. First would be her church, the Woodland Hills Presbyterian Church, which she and John were founding members before the actual foundation of the building was ever laid. Between being a Deacon, Elder, President of the Women's Association, serving in the Session and Presbytery, among other countless roles, she served the Lord and her church until the last months of her life.

Alethea relentlessly fought for the rights of women and the oppressed in both the church and society in general. With her close friend and cohort, Kay O’Neal (Despain) Alethea worked on the unsuccessful campaign for Joy Picus to become the first woman on the L.A. City Council and marched the picket line for the successful campaign to create the United Farm Workers Union.

Even with a household of four children, Alethea cleared the way to host a foreign exchange student from Thailand, allowing him to get settled before starting school, and did it again, hosting a UCLA graduate student from Ghana, Africa a few months later.

One of Alethea’s most gratifying endeavors was, in the late 1970's, to help the Woodland Hills Presbyterian Church sponsor a family of "Boat People"; refugees fleeing oppression in Vietnam after the fall of the war.  When the family arrived, and once the church had fulfilled its obligation, Alethea, along with others (notably Marilyn Bradford) adopted the Tran family as they continued to become established in their new country. The Tran family continues to be part of Alethea's family to this day. Her Asian family were there to visit her, giving loving support to her and her family in her final hours.

Alethea worked in social service positions until she retired at 81 years old. She had a long and successful career as the Director of the Federally funded RSVP, Retired Senior Volunteer Program: an organization that placed senior volunteers (sometimes many years her junior) with charities that needed extra hands. That position, as so many others in that field, required a wide range of skills: everything from writing grants to fund her programming, managing budgets, to setting the table for appreciation luncheons. The hours were long, but the work she found rewarding.

And all of this fell alongside her unwavering devotion to family. She adored all of her nine grandchildren: Carrie Nelle Burgin, Tyler Ludowitz, Kyle Ludowitz, Carl Burgin, Jack Ludowitz, Dylan Ludowitz, Roy Ludowitz, Kevin Ludowitz and Steve Ludowitz

Inexplicably, her greatest pleasure was having as many family members that could possibly be present at one time (and any other friends who might be available) for a sit-down dinner. These were happy, loud, raucous events, that always started with Alethea offering a blessing for all at the table and giving thanks for the wonderful food and her good fortune - and then, invariably, the phone would ring from a delinquent family member and she would have to take the call.

Poetically, Alethea peacefully passed on in the same room as her beloved husband John, after serving the community, the church and her family, and two days after her dear sister Wanda.

The wind may have blown on the prairie, but Alethea was more of a gentle storm than force to be dealt with (most of the time), which is how she was able accomplish so much and help so many people. That was her nature.