Alice Lorane Hilton

Alice Lorane Luce Hilton, 88, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away on February 18, 2026. Alice was born in Branson, Missouri, on August 3, 1937, to Earl and Vera Luce, the sixth of seven children. She married Sheron (Stan) Hilton in Burbank, California, in 1966.

Alice grew up in Branson, Missouri, where she graduated from Branson High School. She had a love for theatre and performed in her high school plays as a teenager. She babysat and waited tables at the diner in downtown Branson, serving both locals and tourists. She learned to work hard from a young age and passed that strong work ethic on to her children.

After high school, Alice graduated from Springfield, Missouri Business School and started working right away in Springfield. Just two weeks after she began her job, she had the opportunity to drive to California with one of her cousins. That last-minute road trip decision completely changed the course of her life. It was there, in California, that she was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and met and married the man she lovingly called “The Old Boy,” Stan Hilton. Together they raised their three children—Linda, Lawrence, and Stephanie—in Burbank, California. Stan worked two jobs at times so Alice could be the “homemaker engineer” for their family.

She served faithfully in her church callings in Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society presidencies; as a visiting teacher and Primary teacher; on the ward social committee; and in many other capacities. She and Stan later served as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Mesa Arizona Temple in the Family History Center, a calling she thoroughly loved.

Alice had many talents, but one of her favorites was sewing. She had the ability to sew and create anything. She was known to take two or three patterns and create an entirely new designer dress. She didn’t just sew for her family—she was often asked by others to make dresses for their special occasions as well. It wasn’t only clothing she loved to make. She would also reupholster furniture for her home. The green and white velvet couch and large oversized chair she reupholstered were favorite pieces in the living room for all the years she lived in her Burbank home. Her family always called it the “green room,” never the living room.

When her children were older, she was hired by one of her best friends, Shirley Peck, to sew from home for Shirley’s doll line, American Beauty Dolls. You could often find Alice sitting in the den with stuffing covering her clothing and the floor. She always took pride in her work. You could often hear her say, “If you are going to do it, do it right.”

Alice is survived by her two daughters, Linda and Stephanie; her son-in-law, Jason; her daughter-in-law, Carole; her sisters-in-law, Rosalie, Carolyn, and Roxie; her grandchildren, Katie, Ryan, Laura, and Ethan; and her great-grandchildren, Lucy and Jack.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Stan; her son, Lawrence; her son-in-law, Scott; her brothers, Herman, Andrew (Andy), and James (Jim); her sisters, June Ella, Hilda, and Baby Girl Luce; and her parents, Earl and Vera Luce. The reunion in heaven must have been joyful!