Alice Elizabeth Passage of Des Moines, formerly of Auburn, died of pneumonia on Sept. 22, 2006, at Highline Hospital in Burien. She was 89. Alice was born Nov. 21, 1916, at Outlook, Wash., to Wilson and Ruby Dopps, who were farmers. She had two sisters, Nellie and Helen, and a brother, Dan, who are now deceased.

Alice grew up in Granger, Wash., where she attended school, graduating from Granger High School in 1934. She attended college at Washington State University where she graduated in 1938, majoring in Education and Speech. Following college she taught high school classes in English, Spanish and Speech in Sunnyside and Yakima for 12 years before moving to Auburn in 1965, where she continued teaching for another seven years. She lived in Auburn until 1988 when she and her husband, Dick, moved to Wesley Homes Retirement Center in Des Moines.

Alice was married to Richard Passage, a radio broadcaster and college teacher, on June 22, 1940. They had two sons, Richard James Jr. (Gerri) of Leavenworth and Michael John (Laura) of Seattle, and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth (Garry Pederson) of Atlanta. Alice's husband, Dick, and her three children survive her, as do four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Alice had been a member of the Tri-Delta Sorority, PEO, and for many years was active in the American Heritage Association, serving as a Board Member for five years, and leading youth heritage tours to Mexico, Europe and in the eastern United States from Jamestown to Boston. Throughout her life from childhood on, she faithfully expressed her Christian faith as a member of the United Methodist Church.

A memorial service celebrating Alice's life was held Sept. 30, 2006, at the Wesley Terrace auditorium in Des Moines. Remembrances and memorial gifts may be made to Wesley Homes Foundation.