Alice’s Obituary After battling Alzheimer’s for more than 20 years, Alice left this world on February 16 for the next to join her loving husband, Fred. Born on March 10, 1928 in Los Angeles to Alfred and Mildred Van Vranken, Alice was raised in Beverly Hills where she attended Marlborough School and was awarded a degree by the University of Southern California. At USC, Alice was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.
She married Alfred Boyle Longyear on August 18, 1951, a rocket engineer with Aerojet. The couple followed Fred’s career to Oakridge, Tennessee where they celebrated the birth of their first child, Alfred, Jr. After a short return to Pasadena- stopping just long enough for their second boy, Van, the couple traveled to Dayton, Ohio where they were blessed with their third child, Gwendolyn. As the race for space intensified, the couple moved to Sacramento where Fred worked to deliver the liquid rockets that directed the Apollo missions to the moon and back.
During her travels, Alice joined the Junior League and on settling in Sacramento, she volunteered with the well-known auction and the League’s work with Fairy Tale Town. A talented artist and interior designer, Alice helped to design many of the sets used in the children’s plays. She was also a docent at the Crocker Art Museum.
Alice was well-known to many as one of the area’s premier interior designers. Part-designer and part-historian, Alice took great pride in bringing 17th and 18th century French and English antiques to many of Sacramento’s finest homes. Clients recall with great fondness the history lessons learned on trips to and from visiting s in San Francisco.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred in 1985 and her sister, Mary Jane Hinds. Alice is survived by her sons, Alfred (Nancy), Van (Maureen) and daughter, Gwendolyn (Dennis), five grandchildren, John, Michael and Katherine Longyear, and Andrew Hayden and Bryna Sampey and nine great-grandchildren. Private services were held.
Remembrances may be made in her honor to Jesuit High School, The Sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Sisters of Loretto), or the charity of choice.
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