Martha Alice Tillett

Martha Alice Chiles Tillett died peacefully on Thursday, the 10th of December 2009. Her smile and laughter truly will be missed.Alice was born on the 27th of August 1927 in Houston, Texas. She was the only child of M.C. and Lucretia Morrow Chiles. Filling her life was a love of family, friends and continuous learning. She pursued a wide range of interests from Pre-Columbian art history in Costa Rica to fly fishing in Wyoming to birding in South Texas. She travelled, studied, collected and read. Her interest in Pre-Columbian art led her (in her 50’s) to earn a master’s degree from the University of Texas Institute of Latin American Studies. She lived most of her life in Texas, and spent many wonderful summers in Wyoming. Alice had a life of service as well. She was President of the Junior League of Midland, Texas and remained a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston. During her time in Midland, she was part of a team that established the Museum of the Southwest. Her interest in Pre-Columbian art came out of her volunteer work at the Denver Art Museum. In Houston, she was a member of the National Society of Colonial Dames, the River Oaks Garden Club, the Southern Garden Club. As a member of the First Presbyterian Church, she was a member of the women’s church circle and served on the flower guild.Along with a host of friends, Alice is survived by her daughters, Ann Morrow Tillett and Alice Tillett McCallie, son-in-law, Allen McCallie, grandson, David Tillett McCallie and cousins, Dana Butler and Tina Freeman.The family wishes to acknowledge her devoted caregivers, Mary Gwen, Fay, Nicole and Niesha; words cannot express how much your love, care and devotion for our mother means to us. Thank you, thank you.A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Monday, the 14th of December, at First Presbyterian Church, 5300 Main Street in Houston.