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Portland-Alice Kitchen, 92, passed away peacefully Sunday January 29, 2023 at the Barron Center in Portland. She was born June 24, 1930 in Portland the daughter of Arthur and Eliza True. Alice grew up in the Nason’s Corner area of Portland along with brothers Gerald and Frank and sister Doris. She attended Portland schools and graduated Deering High School in 1948.
She was working at Grant’s Department Store on Congress Street in Portland when she met Earle Kitchen, a young Portland High School graduate. They were married in September of 1950 and celebrated 67 years of marriage before Earle’s passing in 2018.
Alice and Earle lived more than 55 years on Mona Road in Portland where they raised their four children Earlene, Stephen, Judith and Corinne. Along with being a full-time Mom and house-keeper Alice also worked full time as a dental assistant for Dr. Richard Boynton for more than 20 years.
Alice was a member of Stevens Avenue Congregational Church for more than 70 years. She loved her church, donated many years as a trustee and volunteered for almost every church event. She enjoyed participating in all the church suppers, the craft fairs, yard sales, bible study, Sunday school for the children and even the annual painting and parking lot clean-up.
As a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, mentor and friend, Alice was loved by many. She enjoyed sewing outfits for her kids and grandkids, especially their Halloween outfits. She loved spending time in her gardens at home and at camp. She was the number one supporter of each of her grandchildren’s events, no matter how rainy or cold. She enjoyed traveling to exotic places on winter vacations with family. Above all she enjoyed her time with family and friends at the camp on Range Pond in Poland, Maine. She really loved being surrounded by all the children splashing around in the water or just sitting quietly and relaxing at day’s end looking out over the lake and listening to her loons cry out to each other.
Alice was pre-deceased by her husband Earle, her parents and her brother Gerald.
Surviving are her children Earlene Martel and husband Bob, Stephen and wife Martha, Judith Harmon and husband Michael, Corinne Dellatorre and husband Gary, 8 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, her brother Frank True and sister Doris Tierney.
The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff at Park Danforth where Alice lived for 3 years, the staff at the Barron Center where she spent her last year and the wonderful people at Compassus of Scarborough, Maine who helped Alice to her final rest.
A memorial service for Alice will be held in the spring at A.T. Hutchins 660 Brighton Ave. in Portland with a committal service the following day at Brooklawn Cemetery in South Portland.