Alice Marie Taylor

Alice was small, 4 feet, 11 inches tall, but the petite blonde was a capital A personality, always moving forward at high speed, incredibly organized, refused to take No for an answer. “I’m not a quitter,” she often said.

Her greatest love was her husband Warren Grant Taylor and they celebrated their 55th anniversary in January. Never were two people more perfect for each other than Alice and Warren. They raised Matthew, Heidi (Beutler) and Jennifer (Boussuge), were proud of them and then lamented, as so many grandparents do these days, that they told them to see the world and they did and all moved to different states, making it a bit difficult to see eight grandchildren.

Alice loved life and lived her 77 years to the fullest, sometimes with a bit heavy foot on the pedal when she had a red convertible which Warren egged her to get. She was a dedicated gardener, taking after her late mother, Edith Berry. Her home always reflected the season with colorful flowers. She had a decorator’s touch whether it was Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Easter or the Fourth of July.

Alice was a native Detroiter, raised in Epiphany parish, graduated from Immaculata High School and lately getting in touch with old schoolmates on Facebook. She met Warren when both were working at Chrysler and while raising their children, she earned a degree from Oakland University and taught at Eisenhower High School in Rochester. Eventually Warren’s job necessitated a move to Springfield, Virginia in 1981, just south of the Washington Beltway.

They fell in love with Virginia and Alice followed her father’s (Clair Berry) interest in the Civil War sites and all the historic homes and gardens of the area. Her home became something of a B&B for Michigan friends visiting Washington and the Taylors were expert tour guides of all the museums on the Mall, the capitol and the monuments.

Alice loved her college hours at Oakland and earned a Master’s degree at Mary Washington College in Fredricksburg, VA. “She was interested and interesting,” Heidi said. Their home showed it – books, books, books, biographies, history and travel filled bookcases.

Alice went to work at one of the greatest office sites in the world, the Smithsonian Institution on the Mall. After years at the Smithsonian she became an executive assistant at Mobil Exxon and retired from there.

Retirement was not in Alice’s dictionary and she kept up with friends in their townhouse complex, serving as president and running a tight ship from their home above a deep forest of trees with a running creek below.

Because of Warren’s two major back surgeries that made it difficult to live on three levels they returned to Michigan in 2012. She had Halloween decorations up and was looking forward to a colorful fall when she passed, a shock to all. She left wonderful memories that will last forever.

Visitation Monday, October 5 from 4-8pm at Harry J. Will Funeral Home, 37000 Six Mile Road in Livonia. A Funeral Service will be held Tuesday, October 6 at 11am at the Funeral Home. Visitation begins at 10am Tuesday morning.