Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Willis, Alyce Dorothy  December 31 2004
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
K T bluewolf@onemain.com January 4, 2005, 2:03 pm

The Bakersfield Californian
Alyce Dorothy Willis
7/16/1918 12/31/2004

Alyce was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her family moved to Taft, California 
when she was six years old. She attended Taft schools, where she graduated 
from Taft High and Taft College. She then attended Sawyer Business College in 
Los Angeles. Returning to Taft, Alyce worked at Gardner Field where she met 
her husband of 53 years. Together they had three sons and a daughter. 

While raising her children on a ranch near McKittrick, California, Alyce began 
working at Olig and then McKittrick Elementary School as a secretary. She 
became dedicated to teaching and continued course work in education, business 
and school administration. She practiced this knowledge by becoming a teacher, 
principal, and eventually retiring after 37 years of service as the 
superintendent of McKittrick School in 1991. She was an inspirational teacher 
and leader, giving her time and devotion to the children, from the exceptional 
to the extraordinary, and her cherished community. Alyce served on numerous 
boards and was a proactive member of many clubs including West Kern Oil 
Museum, Westside Childrens Camp Association, Friendship Force, and 60-plus. 
She could recently be found greeting people at the Kern County Courthouse in 
Bakersfield as a docent. Another of her accomplishments was receiving her real 
estate license. She viewed this as another way of helping people, especially 
the first-timers. She traveled extensively, a favorite activity and source for 
information to expand her students knowledge; other favorites were theater, 
music, and dance performances. She enjoyed spending time with her family, and 
her many friends and colleagues.

Alyce was preceded in death by husband, Charles J. Willis, and sons, Steven 
and Richard Willis, as well as her sister, Bernice (Bunny Olson) Swanson. 
Alyce is survived by her son, Randall Willis and wife, Carla of Solana Beach; 
daughter, Adele Ward and husband, Alan of Taft; grandchildren, Kristina and 
Ken Freeborn of Bakersfield; Heather and Robert Ulz of San Marcos; Richard 
Willis of LaJolla; great-grandchildren, Heath and Cameron Freeborn, and Cory 
and Lauren Ulz; and companion, Harry Kanode of Taft.

Graveside services will be on Wednesday, January 5, 2005, at Westside Cemetery 
at 10:00 a.m. A reception will occur following the services at OTs Steakhouse. 
Visitation hours will be 3:00 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 4th, at Erickson & 
Brown Funeral Home in Taft. Memorial donations may be made in her name to 
Westside Childrens Camp Association, West Kern Oil Museum, or the American 
Cancer Society.

Erickson & Brown Funeral Home 


Additional Comments:
Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased.

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