Edwina Elizabeth McAlister (Miss Mac) Gross, 81, of Fayetteville, died Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at Southeastern Regional Medical Center. She was born April 17, 1928, the third and youngest child of the late Tiney Castoria McAlister and the late Nola Lee Blue McAlister Parrish. She was also the stepdaughter of the late Temus Parrish, sister of the late Rita Thorp, and wife of the late MSG (Ret) Francis William Gross. Mrs. Gross was a 1949 graduate of North Carolina College at Durham (North Carolina Central University), and taught business and office education at E. E. Smith Senior High School from 1949 to 1996. She was extremely active in teacher organizations on the local, state and national levels, along with programs at Fort Bragg. Her tireless efforts garnered her many awards and accolades over the years. Surviving are her daughters, Jennifer Brenda McAlister of Stamford, Connecticut; Lisa Katrina Gross of Charlotte; Rita Frances Gross of Mebane; brother, Clifton Ervin McAlister and wife, Bernice, of Fayetteville; a niece, Tinia Williams, and husband of Fayetteville; a nephew, Carlos McAlister of Florida; an aunt, Annie Bell McDougald of Lillington; four grandchildren, Twanda J. McAlister and Takeia J. McAlister of Stamford, Connecticut, Trey Michael Gross of West Lafayette, Indiana, and Cheyenne Delia Gross of Mebane; a fifth grandchild of Maryland; two great-grandchildren; a host of cousins, extended family members and a multitude of friends. The family will receive friends Monday, May 18, 2009 from 5 pm until 7 pm at Jernigan Warren Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 2 pm at First Baptist Church, 302 Moore Street, Fayetteville. Burial will follow in Post Cemetery in Fort Bragg, NC