Alyce Theodore Foley

Alyce Theodore Foley, affectionally known as "Teddy," was born on November 16, 1930, and passed on June 13, 2022. Alyce grew up in Tuckahoe, New York, in Westchester County. She was the oldest of three children of Marika Moyantcheff and Athanese Theodore, Greek immigrants who ran a local diner. Her beloved brother, Nicholas, passed in 2019, and her beloved sister, Irene, passed in September 2022.

Alyce was fearless, creative, optimistic, glamorous, worldly, full of grit, adventurous, bright, and strong. She lived her life with the motto that "age is just a number," and she never gave up. Although Alyce never had children of her own, she was like a second Mom to her niece Rebecca and nephew Michael, who have always lived close to Alyce, loved her deeply, and who were blessed to share so much of their lives with Alyce. She was also very close to her nephew, Stephen, who lives in Seattle.

Alyce attended college at The University of New Mexico where she was an art major and in Theta Sorority. At 19 years of age, Alyce met the one true romantic love of her life, Jack Foley, and they married. Alyce and Jack eventually moved to Berkeley, where she worked at UC Berkeley in the English Department for over 30 years. Alyce retired from UC Berkeley as the Administrative Head of the English Department. Her colleagues (many esteemed Professors in the English Department) remember Alyce as being creative and proactive in her administrative management of the department. Alyce made life-long friends at the English Department, and she felt that many of the professors and their families were her extended family. Alyce liked to say that "they grew up together. " Alyce had a yearly Christmas brunch, which was always packed with her colleagues, other friends, and family.

Alyce was an active participant in the Berkeley social scene, she was a social butterfly, great conversationalist and storyteller, and loved her bourbon. Although Alyce had an active social life, she was also fiercely independent and not afraid to be alone. She loved her own company and her hobbies throughout her life included cooking, reading, museums and art, pottery, fashion, design, gardening, British TV, and most significantly travel. After she and husband Jack divorced when Alyce was in her late 30's, she began a lifelong odyssey of travel to almost every continent. She took multiple trips each year and it was difficult to find a destination where she had not traveled. Much of Alyce's travel was on her own or with tours, but she also traveled extensively with her sister, Irene. Alyce's first solo trip was to Mexico City and then to Guatemala, which is where her business, Design West, was born.

Alyce's first design for Design West was a pillow from a pair of men's pants from Guatemala. Alyce was keenly drawn to indigenous cultures, especially Native American and Central and South American designs, art, and artifacts. Design West was a thriving business, which she ran while also working full-time at the English Department. Primarily, she designed and sold tote bags to museum shops across the country, as well as her famous salad green dryer, which was extremely popular and sold at William Sonoma. Design West created another community for Alyce, as she traveled to gift and museum shop shows in various cities across the country.

Alyce inspired many with her unwavering optimism, grit, and love of life that she maintained until her passing at almost 92. Alyce lived true to her motto that age is just a number.

She is survived by her niece, Rebecca Thompson and her husband, Kevin, her nephew, Michael Heinstein, his wife Kye, and children Ethan and Dylan, and her nephew Stephen Theodore, his wife Hai, and children Nicky, Helen, and Alexander.