Alice Blanche Collins

.Alice Blanche McNeely was born in Yakima, Washington on September 30, 1925 to Theresa Maude England McNeely and Archibald Gaston McNeely, the third of five children. As her father left home when she was very young, the children were raised by their mother. She grew up on an apple orchard in Cowiche, Washington. She attended Cowiche School and graduated from Tieton High School. While in high school, she came to faith in Jesus through the ministry of a local church.

After graduation, she moved to Seattle to attend Simpson Bible Institute. At Simpson, she met fellow student Raymond Collins, and they were married in Seattle at the home of one of their professors on September 8, 1948.

Alice was mother to two daughters: Naomi, born in 1949, and Carol, born in 1951. The family moved to West Seattle in 1956, and lived on 12th SW until 1974, when they moved to their present home.

Alice spent most of her life as a homemaker. She always wanted her home to be nice and she took pride in setting the table attractively and having her home filled with flowers from the yard. She studied the Bible at home and took many correspondence courses from Moody Bible Institute. In the mid-1970s, Alice worked at Grace Church as church secretary for several years. She was later a secretary for one of the leaders at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, and she volunteered with the mission's prison ministry. At different times, she showed her care for others by visiting residents at a nursing home and providing rides to Grace Church for elderly attendees. She has served Grace for many years by stuffing the bulletin on Thursday afternoons, up through last week.

Alice loved gardening and enjoyed working in the yard. She was able to continue weeding as recently as the week before she died. A highlight was having the Collins yard on the White Center Home Garden Tour in 2000.

She and Ray spent many happy Labor Day weekends with SPU alumni families at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island, sometimes with Carol and/or their grandchildren. Alice also enjoyed going to conferences at The Firs in Bellingham. Going to Spuds at Alki Beach for fish and chips was another favorite activity.

She loved photos of her grandchildren. Many pictures received by email were printed and prominently displayed on the walls throughout her home.

Ray and Alice were married for sixty-five years. Anniversary celebrations included a 25th anniversary celebration in 1973 at the home of Grace friends Bill and Judy Mullens, a 50th anniversary celebration at the Columbia Gorge with the Wilhoits followed by a celebration for extended family at a Seattle restaurant in 1998, and a sixtieth anniversary reception at their home in 2008.

On Monday, May 19, 2014, Alice fell at home and broke her hip. Complications following surgery led to her death the following day.

Alice is survived by her husband Ray and by one of her sisters, Isabelle Tesdall of Bella Vista, Arkansas. Her older daughter Naomi died from melanoma in 2001. Naomi's husband, Al Milano, lives in Dallas, Texas. Alice's younger daughter Carol Wilhoit lives with her husband Jim in Naperville, Illinois. Alice's three grandchildren are Elizabeth Wilhoit of Lafayette, Indiana, Juliana Wilhoit of Champaign, Illinois, and Victor Milano of Greer, South Carolina.

Alice's faith in Christ is clearly proclaimed in the text that begins her Will: I, Alice Collins, realizing the uncertainty of this life and with full confidence and trust in my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in His death on the cross for my sins and in His shed blood as an atonement for my soul, and knowing that by faith in His sacrifice on the cross for me I have eternal life, declare this to be my Will.