Alice Boocock Smith

PORTLAND - Alice Boocock Smith, 92, of Chandler's Wharf, Portland, passed away peacefully on April 16 at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, surrounded by her family and her favorite spring flowers. Alice was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England on June 10, 1921 to Lillian (Webster) and Robinson Boocock. At the age of three, she sailed to America with her parents, and settled in Bradford, Massachusetts. As a child Alice attended People's Methodist Church in Bradford. She graduated from Haverhill (MA) High School with the class of 1939 and proudly attended every class reunion. After high school, Alice studied to become a commercial artist. She worked at GE during WWII and was so excited to bring home her first paycheck that she went right out and bought a fur coat with the proceeds... in the heat of the summer! On June 29, 1946, Alice married Frederick J. Smith, a veteran of WWII, at Sacred Heart Church in Bradford. They moved to Newington, Connecticut, built their first home by themselves, and began a family. Over the years, Alice lived in Westport and Guilford, CT, Vestal, N.Y., and Andover, MA, as Fred progressed in his career as an engineer. One constant during those years was the family's annual summer vacation at Wells Beach, where Fred and Alice had spent their honeymoon. In 1966, Alice and Fred finally achieved their dream of living in Maine by renovating a cottage on Kennebunk Beach into a year round home for their family. In 1989, they retired to Chandler's Wharf where they enjoyed being a part of the tranquil yet active Portland waterfront. Alice was a talented artist who painted extensively in oils. In addition to landscapes and still-lifes, she painted portraits of each of her children. Alice was an accomplished seamstress who loved fashion and enjoyed designing clothes for herself and her four daughters. She had a special interest in interior decorating and enjoyed finding creative ways to use old things long before "DIY" became a household word. Alice also enjoyed collecting antiques, playing the piano, cooking, and spending time with her cat, "Tabby". Alice was a thoughtful, hard-working, creative woman with a subtle sense of humor who always let others know how much she appreciated them. She demonstrated a quiet sense of strength, which was especially evident during her recent illness. She was fiercely protective of her children and could always be counted on to help out in both good times and bad. Alice volunteered as a hospital "Gray Lady", eventually serving on the Board of Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence, MA. In Portland, she enjoyed being the volunteer "garden lady" for many years at Chandler's Wharf. Alice was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Frederick Smith in 2005, and her beloved daughter, Nancy Tufts in 2010. She is survived by two sisters, Marion Armstrong of Plantsville, CT and Doris Jollimore of Plaistow, NH. She is also survived by three of her four daughters, aka the "Stunning Smith Sisters", Cheryl Lawson and her husband, Henry, of Falmouth, Andrea Donnelly and her husband, David, of Yarmouth, and Joanne LaPlante and her husband, Mark, of Londonderry, NH., as well as a son-in-law, Aaron Tufts of Portland. Alice was a loving grandmother who is survived by her grandchildren Robert Underwood of Brooklyn, NY, and his wife Tomomi, Kristen Underwood of Portland, Kevin Cagney of Yarmouth, Kelly Cagney of Mesa, AZ, Katy Cagney of Falmouth, and Kit Doty of Portland. She is also survived by five great-grandchildren, Takanori, Toshinori, Miyo Alice, James, and Donovan, as well as her beloved feline companion, "Tabatha". The family would like to thank the caring staffs at Home Instead, ITN, Falmouth by the Sea, MMC, InterMed, Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, and Chandler's Wharf, as well as Mom's friend, Dr. Joel Botler. Calling hours will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 21 at Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State St., Portland. A Celebration of Alice's Life will be held at Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State St. at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22, with Rev. Carolyn Lambert officiating. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those who would like to remember Alice consider donating to a cause that was meaningful to her, either the "Nancy Smith Tufts Memorial Scholarship" at Wells High School, c/o Principal Jim Daly, 200 Sanford Rd., Wells, ME 04090, or The Animal Welfare Society of West Kennebunk, 46 Holland Rd., Kennebunk, ME 04043.Online condolences may be expressed below.