Alice Siemens

Alice Siemens, a devoted teacher and lifelong learner, died peacefully in the soft light of an October afternoon in 2025 following a long and difficult illness. She bore the hardships of her final year with grace and resolve.
Alice was born in Wembley, Alberta, to a Mennonite family in the spring of 1929. Her family moved to southern British Columbia around 1940. Alice's accounts of a happy, farming childhood would always be a part of family lore. Her home was a loving and industrious one. She was encouraged -- most especially by her grandfather -- to believe she could do anything she set her mind to, that she must do it to the best of her ability, and that if she failed, it was a learning opportunity. These were remarkably progressive sentiments for the norms of a strict religious community in the 1930s and 1940s. 
As a young woman, Alice was influenced and supported by a group of friends. These eight women formed a special bond that carried them through their lives with love and affection. She was the last surviving member.
Alice had wanted to be a teacher since childhood, often convincing her siblings to play the role of her pupils. Shortly after graduating from high school at the Mennonite Educational Institute in Abbotsford, Alice attended a year-long Normal School (teacher training) program and immediately went to work. She later completed her formal education during summers at the universities of B.C. and California/Berkeley. She taught in one-room schoolhouses in Newfoundland and the Peace River District, as well as in classrooms in rural Wisconsin and in big-city settings throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. She retired at age 63. Former students and colleagues often reached out over the years, a testament to the difference she'd made in their lives. 
Geography PhD student Alfred proposed to Alice with a single red rose, and they were married in December 1960. They were both from a Mennonite church and had known each other for many years before romance blossomed. Together, they had three children in quick succession. As their young family grew, Alfred and Alice's religious views shifted: his decisively away from the church of their upbringing, hers toward a gentler, more questioning faith. 
Alice was a dedicated mother at every stage of her children's lives. She was loving, patient, protective, but approachable, firm, and sensible. She smoothed many family crises, large and small, with nurturing care. She was a great listener until the end of her days and always offered thoughtful, carefully considered advice. 
Aside from her family, Alice found joy in many pursuits. She and Alfred travelled the world together, approaching each new destination with curiosity and respect. Gardening became a passion after their move to Dunbar, where a yard of her own offered room to experiment. Reading provided both relaxation and solace, and she often took her cue from Alfred's latest recommendations. She also delighted in creative expression, whether cooking, hosting, sewing, batik, or arranging flowers, each infused with her colourful and unmistakable personal style. 
Alice is survived by her husband Alfred, the love at the centre of her life for close to sixty-five years; her children-their stalwarts-Yvonne (Allen), Barbara (Anthony), and Howard (Heike); and her grandchildren, Gavin, Cleo, Julian, Katja, and Beckett. She will also be deeply missed by her siblings, Amanda and Bill, for whom she was both sister and inspiration, as well as many cherished extended family members and friends. She was predeceased by her brother Walter. 
The family extends their gratitude to the care community at Amica Lions Gate, whose compassionate support upheld Alice's dignity and comfort as much as possible throughout her final year. 
A Celebration of Alice's Life will be held at Boal Chapel in North Vancouver, on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. For those who wish, a gift to the BC Cancer Foundation in her name would be gratefully received.