Alice Brandon White

On All Saints Day, November 1, 2024, Alice Brandon White of East Lyme passed peacefully from her life of service, surrounded by the love of God and all the Saints in light. Alice was 73 years old.

Alice was born on June 9, 1951, in Queens NY, daughter of Thomas J. and Doris (Bellamy) Brandon. Her favorite grandmother, Eugenie Ford Brandon (a 1915 graduate of Mount Holyoke College), lovingly imparted to Alice her caring nature and passion for needlework and baking. Indeed, Alice’s incomparable chocolate chip cookies were partly responsible for the exchange of wedding vows between high school friends Alice and Alan 48 years ago on December 4, 1976 at the First Congregational Church in New London.

Alice graduated from New London High School in 1969, and then completed an intensive one-year program at L&M Hospital to become a Certified Operating Room Technician (1971-1980). While working as a CORT, Alice ambitiously completed a full-time two-year program to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing from Mohegan Community College in May 1980. A few weeks after Alice passed the CT Nursing License exam, Alice and Alan’s first child, Sarah, was born in August 1980, and their second child, Ryan, arrived in February 1985.

A force to be reckoned with, Alice dedicated her life to serving others. She grew up with a strong sense of duty and compassion, qualities that led to her lengthy, successful nursing career. For 37 years Alice provided compassionate, skilled nursing care primarily on L&M Hospital’s Labor & Delivery unit, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and within its OB-GYN high-risk clinic, and also worked as a home care and school nurse with the Visiting Nurses of SE CT. After retiring in 2017, Alice joined the volunteer ranks of the CT Medical Reserve Corps to administer Covid-19 vaccines to local residents in 2021 and 2022.

Underlying the above is the essence and soul of a remarkable person. Alice’s life was defined by resilience, selflessness, and generosity, and she gifted every day of her life in loving service and support to her family, friends, patients, and especially to all of the children she encountered through the years. Alice was known for her meticulous attention to detail, her no-nonsense approach, and the immense heart she poured into her work. She was always thinking: ‘How can I help? What work is there to do? Who needs my care?’ and then following through to fulfill those needs.

From humble and challenging early years, Alice forged her life of service and a wonderful home and family through her own determination, ambition, perseverance, and steady hard work. Her outward focus on others, especially children, was evident in her volunteer work through the years: as a teen Candy Striper at L&M Hospital; with the East Lyme Junior Women’s Club; for the Girl Scouts (with a garage full of cookie boxes); Flanders School class parent; parent advisor to the EL BOE school enrollment study; ELHS Marching Band parent (8 years, Pit Crew and board member); Pajama Program (7 years, SE CT distributor); Boy Scout Troop 7 (board member); L&M Hospital Auxiliary, Helping Hands program, and Bereavement Committee; and at Niantic Community Church (member, bazaars and rummage sales).

Alice was an excellent seamstress, needlepoint artist, knitter and crocheter, and she enjoyed creating countless gifts for friends and family. Her handwork skills and attention to fine details were evident, especially in her beautiful needlepoint canvasses. Interestingly, she applied these skills to her work as an OR Tech: renowned local surgeon and friend, Dr. Malcolm Ellison, always requested Alice to assist him because, he said, she was the one OR Tech who could thread needles quickly enough to keep up with his rapid pace of stitching an incision.

Alice’s dedication extended beyond her work; she was a pillar for her family, always there with advice, a firm opinion, and a heart that thought of everyone around her. Her loved ones will remember her as a fierce, giving soul who taught her children the importance of caring for others. One could often find Alice purchasing trinkets at the church rummage sale, passing down recipes of chocolate chip cookies, homemade pizzas and soups, or enjoying pool time with her family. Alice poured her heart into loving her husband, her children, and her grandchildren, often putting their needs before her own.

Alice’s greatest happiness derived from the home and family she and Alan so lovingly created and nurtured. She was proud of the family’s home on Merrywood Lane that welcomed all friends and hosted extended family gatherings each year. She deeply loved and was proud of Sarah and Ryan and their families, and was happiest when everyone gathered together for holiday celebrations and family vacations. As many can attest, there was always room at Alice’s Thanksgiving table, and always plenty of delicious food to go around.

Alice leaves behind her husband, Alan; a sister, Heather Carroll and her husband, Jeff, of Baltimore; a daughter, Sarah White, and her wife, Jen Lano, of Simsbury; a son, Ryan White, and his wife, Jessica, of Morrison, CO; three grandchildren: Maeve Lano-White, Phillip White, and Lauren White; an uncle, Ralph Bellamy; a sister-in-law, Vienna Brandon; nieces Naomi, Jessica, and Callie; and nephews Jason, Timothy, and Christopher. Alice was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Thomas H. Brandon; an uncle, Stanley Bellamy; and nephews Jacob and Luke.

Alice’s family extends its heartfelt appreciation to the doctors, nurses, aides, and hospice team at Hartford Hospital, especially the team on floor 3 of the Conklin Building, who provided the most loving and compassionate care to Alice and her family during the past two months, and who welcomed the family to be together with Alice during her final week of hospice care. Every moment the angels on CB3 spent comforting Alice and her family during such tremendous heartbreak will never be forgotten.

Calling hours will held from 5 to 8 pm on Thursday, November 21, at Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home in New London.  A memorial service will be conducted at 11 am on Friday, November 22, at Niantic Community Church in Niantic.  In lieu of flowers, Alice’s family asks for memorial donations to be made in Alice’s memory to Oliver’s Pajama Project, an organization that was near and dear to Alice’s heart (mailing address: Oliver’s Pajama Project, 31 Karen Lee Rd, Glastonbury, CT 06033; monetary donations: https://givebutter.com/OliversPajamaProject).

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