Aline F. North

Aline North was born in Lovelady, Texas in 1938 to Johnnie Paris and Ira (Ash) Fance. She was the eleventh of twelve children. After an early childhood in Lovelady, the family moved to Houston, Texas where she graduated with honors from Phillis Wheatley High School in 1956, then continued her studies at Texas Southern University (TSU), where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Business administration in 1960. Upon realizing that corporate America rarely if ever hired African American women for professional positions in the 1960’s, she took her talents to the University of Texas where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 1974. Later, her curiosity and desire to know more led her back to Texas Southern where she earned a Master’s Degree in Psychology.

Mrs. North enjoyed a long career as a Registered Nurse (RN) at Memorial Herman Hospital, Methodist Hospital and The Woman’s Hospital of Texas in Obstetrics and Gynecology OB/GYN. Bored with retirement, she used her wealth of knowledge and experience to come out of retirement and co-founded Horizon Adult Day Services with one of her sons and one of her daughters in law to assist Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled adults in the Houston area. She actively worked at Horizon Adult Day Services until her body started giving out in August of 2025.

Aline married the love of her life, Willie (Bill) North, Jr. in 1962 in Galveston, Texas. She always stated that she knew from the first time she saw him that she would marry him. Their union lasted until January 18, 2021, when Bill went to be with the Lord. Aline and Bill were blessed with four children, Willie North III (Casandra), Reginald Dearron North, Eric Gerard North, and Terrill Jermaine North (Bernice). She also had two bonus sons Eric Dewayne Ford (Tabitha) and Micheal Willie Thielking (Irene), which she loved as if they were her own.

Though she loved watching and directing the progress of her children, she took special joy in watching the achievements of her grandchildren, Tennyle Lichelle Ceasar (Andre’), William North IV, and Adjoa Blessing. She especially cherished her time with Adjoa, born after her first retirement, calling her “my little Blessing.” She was also happy to see a continuation of her lineage with the birth of her great grandson, William Ezana North V.

Aline was an active member of the Southside Church of Christ and often spoke of church activities and ways in which the Church helped the community. She encouraged many people to attend her Church or the Church of their choice and was quick to speak of the many benefits of church attendance. She considered the Church her second family and loved the members as family.

She enjoyed her work in the hospitals; however, she often stated that work is necessary so that a person can enjoy life and help others. That zest for enjoyment started in childhood during a time when many people who looked like her had very little, if anything at all. When she read books, she saw another world and that world was larger than anything she had ever seen. She decided that the world she saw in the books would be the world that she would live in and once she obtained an education, she would pursue her lifelong hobby of turning her dream world into her real world. She was successful in that endeavor as there is no continent that she did not step foot on and no major city or site in the world that she did not visit. With that goal well in hand, helping others who could not help themselves was the next step which led to her co-founding Horizon Adult Day Services.

Aline always wanted her boys to be strong like their father. She did not accept crying or excuses for poor performance. She often said that we have come too far to be mediocre. She reluctantly accepted not winning if she saw the effort, but she required improvement or a change of venue.

Aline was preceded in death by her parents Johnnie and Ira Fance, her husband, Willie North Jr., her son, Reginald Dearron, her siblings, Ramond Lee, Johnnie, Phebia Marie, Calvin Coolidge, Alphonsa, Juanita, Hubert, Hughlagure, Cedella, and Arron Daniel and is survived by her sister Gertie Sue Fance, her sons Willie North III, (Casandra), Eric Gerard North, Terrill Jermaine North, (Bernice), her bonus sons Eric Dewayne Ford (Tabitha) and Michael Willie Thielking (Irene), her grandchildren Tennyle Lichelle Ceasar, (Andre’), William North IV, Adjoa Blessing North, her great grandchild, William North V, and many other dear relatives and friends.

A visitation for Aline will be held Saturday, November 1, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Southside Church Of Christ, 13835 Buxley St., Houston, TX 77045. A celebration of will immediately follow from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The committal service will be held Saturday, November 1, 2025 from 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM at Paradise Cemetery North, 10401 West Montgomery, Houston, TX 77088.