Alice Elizabeth (Porterfield) Perrine

Alice Elizabeth Perrine, “Mamaw, Grandma Alice, or Mom” to most of us, passed away peacefully at Frisbee Hospital in Rochester, New Hampshire on the evening of 10 July 2011, 10 days short of her 107th birthday. She had weathered serious medical challenges over her many blessed years, but while recovering from pneumonia and a broken collar bone, a stoke finally convinced her to join her husband, son, daughter, a grandson, and two sons-in-law with our Gracious Heavenly Father. The story of Alice Elizabeth Perrine is about unconditional love to everyone, facing pain and difficulties with faith and determination, and pure stubbornness. She led a life that we all want to emulate, even the stubbornness, which she readily admitted. Perhaps that was what made her so strong and endearing – if not the reason for her endurance. It was pure pleasure in her company, and she derived great pleasure in yours. Let there be no mistake, she was God’s child and our Heavenly Father took special care of her while giving us all grace and love by allowing us to enjoy her for so long on this earth. Miss Alice was born on July 20th, 1904 and was adopted by a midwife from the Pittsburg, PA areas of Uniontown and Connellsville where she spent most of her life growing up. Her adopted mother was Elizabeth “Lizzy” Ryan Porterfield, a single midwife. In those days it was not unusual for a midwife to accept a baby if there were circumstances that endangered the baby. In her case, there is evidence that suggests she is the daughter of very famous parents that gave her up to potentially save her life and for a life away from the dangerous and violent surroundings that would arise if she stayed with her birth mother. Only DNA can confirm this for us on earth. However, she now knows the answer to her lifelong question of who her real mom and dad were. Miss Alice’s childhood centered near the Connellsville area after Lizzy married a prominent farmer, Joe Porterfield. He was a loving and caring father to Miss Alice making sure her difficult step mother cared for her properly. She had step brothers and sisters, but they had made it clear that she was not one of them, she was not a Porterfield, and that was a memory that she kept her entire life. She wanted to know who her real mother and father were, but her mother, who did know the secret, passed away before she could tell it. Miss Alice left home at 16 to move in with her closest step sister Bess Porterfield where she stayed until marrying her first love, a stage actor, Jesse Paul Perrine, on February 9, 1925. They met at a restaurant where Miss Alice worked as a waitress. Jess’s stage name was Dick Foote and he stayed strong as a husband and provider until he passed away on February 14, 1954 at age 72. He is buried in the Connellsville Cemetery. After her husband passed away, Miss Alice spent most of her life living with her children and helping care for her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. She traveled the world since two of her sons-in-law were in the military and she moved frequently. However, in 1972, she finally put down roots in Albany Georgia after her daughter Amy and son-in-law John retired from the military and moved there. She bought a trailer about a mile from Amy’s house and walked the route almost every day to visit and help keep up the house and, most importantly, play Skip-Bo, Oh Heck cards, Fill-Or-Bust, and any other game available. Sitting around the table talking, laughing, and sharing life became her gift to our family. Her family is strong in character, life values, and Christian fellowship as a result of “time for Skip-Bo” and we will never forget it and we will miss her unsurprising mistakes and sporadic victories. Not to worry, it’s early, time for another hand. Miss Alice stayed in her trailer in Albany and cared for her son Jesse Richard “Dick” Perrine who passed away on December 7, 1985. The strength of the family, she stayed in the trailer alone until the passing of her son-in-law John and daughter Amy. Miss Alice then moved into “Amy’s” house to care for it until 2006 when she was finally convinced at age 102 to move in with her oldest daughter Berenice Tavella in order to “take care of Berenice.” Although Berenice was doing the care-giving, you couldn’t convince Miss Alice. In fact, a trip from Rochester to Nutley was planned for her birthday so she could visit Berenice and make sure all was well. Trips were common for her, last summer at 106, Miss Alice and Berenice took a trip to Alaska to visit her grandchildren there. My how she enjoyed the trip and the stories flowed. She didn’t seem to be slowing down much, she was still in control. Miss Alice was in Rochester, New Hampshire with daughter Marguerite Balok and son-in-law Mike since this April. She returned from her visit to Marguerite and Mike’s annual month-long winter escape to Myrtle Beach when she contracted pneumonia and entered the hospital. However, the stubbornness showed, she was not ready, so she was sent home to recover and regain strength at Marguerite and Mike’s house. Then last week she broke her collar bone and could not be given strong pain medication because she had never taken much medication her entire life. Car accidents, a mugging, hit by a car and a broken leg at 98 years old, the shingles, and other conditions, she just endured and never complained - never. A shot of vinegar every day and maybe some Anisette once in a while kept her healthy. But she suffered a stroke on the early evening of 10 July that caused her to rest comfortably and pass into the next life. Alice Elizabeth Ryan Porterfield Perrine is responsible for the upstanding development and strength of character of 4 children, 13 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and 20 great-great grandchildren. In that group are successful businesspersons, lawyers, an Oscar winner, a senior military commander, a member of the Senior Executive Service, and every one of them a loving and caring person as influenced by Mamaw/Grandma Alice. Alice Elizabeth Perrine is survived by: Her children Berenice Tavella of Nutley, NJ and Marguerite Balok and her husband Michael Balok of Rochester, NH; 13 Grandchildren; 21 Great-grandchildren; 20 Great-great-grandchildren; and her beloved birdies. Miss Alice was predeceased by: her husband Jesse Paul Perrine who passed away on February 14, 1954 in Connellsville, PA; her son Jesse Richard “Dick” Perrine who passed away on December 7, 1985 and her daughter Amy who passed away on September 21, 2002, both in Albany, GA; and Her grandson Joseph Tavella of North Carolina, who passed away on October 25, 2000. The Funeral service will be conducted on Friday July 15, 2011, at 11:00 a.m. at Hall and Hall Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Floral Memory Gardens Cemetery in Albany next to her beloved daughter Amy Lewis and her husband John. A Visitation/Viewing will be held at Hall and Hall on Thursday July 14, 2011 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Reception plans will be announced at the viewing and the funeral.