Alice Marie Chase Atkins of Enfield, NH was promoted to glory on March 31, 2019 at age 75. She was born in Hibbing, Minnesota to Salvation Army Majors Leslie and Pearl Chase on March 25, 1944.
While attending high school in Fargo, North Dakota, Alice worked after school at a local nursing home to earn money to purchase her first pair of new shoes to wear while attending Methodist-Kahler Nursing School in Rochester, Minnesota. While in nursing school, Alice was a forerunner in questioning the expectations of a “proper lady” by refusing to wear the customarily required hat and white gloves to the mandatory nurses’ tea. After Alice completed her training to become a registered nurse, she married Thomas Atkins of Laredo, Texas. As a novice nurse, Alice again tested convention by being the first nurse at the hospital to refuse to wear the traditional nurse’s cap because she believed “it served no purpose.” Due to Alice’s strong relationship with the patients she attended, the administration from the hospital chose to let her remove the hat from her uniform, other nurses were inspired and followed her lead soon after.
After having three daughters, Alice and Tom attended the Salvation Army School for Officer Training in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to graduation, Tom made the decision to continue his education and with Alice’s support he became a Presbyterian pastor and career chaplain in the United States Navy. During Tom’s military deployments, Alice raised three daughters while continuing her education. Alice received her B.S. from Eastern Connecticut State University and Master of Science in Nursing from Yale University. Alice’s education led to becoming a Certified Clinical Specialist in adult, adolescent and child psychiatry. As Tom’s career carried the family around the world, Alice successfully pursued her career in nursing in Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Rhode Island, California, England, and Italy. Alice’s public career culminated as an HIV/AIDS researcher in the pursuit of post-graduate studies at UCLA. In retirement, Alice continued to practice her expertise while caring for her aging mother and supporting her daughters in raising their own children.
Alice taught her daughters that while life might not be fair, but if you work hard, it can be full of joy and intrigue. Alice was known to say that, “rules were suggestions to keep a person from getting in trouble”, and Alice never avoided trouble. As a woman of faith and conviction, Alice stood firm in her love and her forgiveness.
Alice is survived by her husband, the Reverend Thomas Atkins, Captain, CHC, USN (retired) of Enfield, NH; daughters: Lisa Marie Atkins Arroyo of Enfield, NH, Lori Atkins Meyers of Hanover, NH, and Leslie Pearl Atkins of Wiesbaden, Germany; six grandchildren: Danny and Zachary Cassou, Evelyn and Nelson Jr. Arroyo; Marissa and Evan Meyers; sons-in-law: Nelson Arroyo Sr., Dr. Timothy Meyers, and daughter-in-law Kathy McBurney.
A memorial service is planned for May 26, 2019, SUNDAY, at Community Lutheran Church, Enfield, NH at 3:00 p.m.