Alice Mary Blomquist

Alice is survived by her devoted husband of 57 years, John; her five children: Jennifer Gidley (Mark), John (Nicoll), Melissa, Laura, and Katie (Tim); her nine grandchildren: Matthew, Luke, Andrew, Anthony, Zachary, Katherine, Ellie, Emma, and Jimmy; her brothers John, Michael (Sandy), Gerard (Ellen), and sister Rosemary (Tom); her brother-in-law Robert and sister-in-law Elaine (Jim); and a multitude of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

Alice is also survived by countless others who remember her with joy and gratitude, particularly her dear friend Kathy Davy and her loving cousins Sharon Scharringhausen and Eileen Burden.

She was preceded in death by her parents Clement and Betty (Gerken) Arens, sister Mary, and brothers William and Martin.

Born in 1947 on Chicago’s northwest side, Alice was a sweet little girl who always helped her mother and cared for her siblings. She graduated from Resurrection High School in 1965, Wright Junior College in 1967, and Northern Illinois University in 1969, where she met the love of her life - John, who she affectionately called “Mister B.”

Alice and John married in June 1969 at St. Monica’s, lived briefly in St. Charles, and moved into their dream home near downtown Arlington Heights in 1978. Alice and John raised five children, all of them going through St. James Parish, where she remained a faithful member her entire life, taking great pride in the Women’s Club, working at Bingo, welcoming new parishioners, and organizing the Rose for Life.

She brought comfort and joy to so many through her friendship and volunteer work in both the community and the church. Always the last one out of church after mass, she enjoyed socializing with friends and acquaintances.

She taught for one year before deciding to stay at home with her children. In that time, she took on multiple jobs with flexible schedules, so she could work to make a beautiful home for her family. She worked part-time in the deli at Jewel and organized paper carriers for the Daily Herald.

Once Alice and John’s children were grown, she amazed everyone when she went back to NIU at the age of 50 to get a master's in adult education. (She proudly boasted that she got her bachelor's, master's, and husband in a one-stop-shop at NIU.) While getting the degree, she was an administrative assistant in the Wellness Department at Harper College. With her degree over the course of the next 15 years, she worked her way up to the position of Asst. Provost at Roosevelt University in charge of continuing adult education.

Alice took great joy in sharing life with her children and grandchildren. She loved cheering them on at their sporting events, watching their concerts, and taking them on vacation. She carried that joy into the holiday season where year after year she spent countless hours wrapping, decorating, and baking to create a magical Christmas for her family, friends, and neighbors. Alice had the gift of making any mundane moment fun, whether she was throwing groceries across the kitchen like a football or buying ice cream cones while out running errands. She was the life of every party and knew exactly how to make anyone feel special.

She enjoyed the daily sudoku with a cup of coffee, reading a murder mystery, watching her beloved Cubbies and Bears, and playing Rummikub on the front porch with Mister B.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, July 19 from 1:00 to 5:00 at Glueckert Funeral Home in Arlington Heights. A private visitation for family will be held Monday evening. The funeral mass will be held Tuesday, July 21 at 10:00 at St. James Catholic Church in Arlington Heights, followed by burial at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Cemetery in Palatine.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.