About
Alice Rayner Obituary
Alice was a distinguished professor who made significant contributions to academia. She earned her BA from Principia College and her PhD from UC Santa Barbara. Throughout her career, Alice served as a Professor in the Humanities Department at Stanford University, and was Chair of the Department towards the end of her career.
In addition to chairing the Humanities Department, Alice was a prolific author, with several books to her name. Though reading, writing, and publishing were a constant throughout her professional life, she found her true passion in her relationship with her students. Known for her dry sense of humor, eloquence, and uncanny intelligence, Alice was dedicated to nurturing young minds and celebrating their literary achievements.
Outside of her professional life, Alice found spiritual meaning in her yearly Vision Quests and Sweat Lodges in the Native American tradition. She also led yearly seminars at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Those who wish to honor Alice's memory can contribute to the Frontotemporal Dementia and Picks Disease Fund at UCSF (https://giving.ucsf.edu/fund/frontotemporal-dementia-picks-disease-fund/01t8Z00000AdaCBQAZ) or support the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (https://tickets.osfashland.org/donate/q/1).
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
2 Entries
Claudia Orenstein
July 3, 2024
My deepest condolences to all of Alice's friends and family. I was a very young and lost PhD student in Theatre at Stanford when Alice was hired there. She soon became my mentor and then dissertation advisor. She was always patient, generous, and understanding. I could not have made it through the program without her and her continual support. After I finished at Stanford, I enjoyed, over many years, catching up with her at conferences and seeing her when my family and I travelled back to CA. Her bright spirit and warm personality will live on in my memory. As will her helpful words to me (years before spellcheck) that she believed there was really a gene for spelling, so I could take comfort that some folks (like me) were just not blessed with it. And her remark, on seeing a very old telephone switchboard on display as arcane memorabilia in the lobby of a hotel, that she had had a job working one of those once when she was in college. Also the big hug she gave me in later years when I was going through a difficult time in my life and, meeting me at a conference, she could tell I was about to burst into tears. I hav been so fortunate to have had her in my life.
Deepest sympathies to her family.
Claudia Orenstein, PhD (Thanks to Alice)
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Peggy Phelan
June 17, 2024
To Eric and family,
My sincere condolences to you and your whole family. Alice was my friend and colleague at Stanford. Her writing, especially her work on the backstage workers who 'ghost' performances, remains central to the field. She often talked with me about you, Eric, and I imagine you must feel bereft of such a loving mother. My heart goes out to you. Grief takes its time I know so I hope this note does not feel too belated.
Peggy Phelan
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