Alice Shread

1929 - 2020

Shread, Alice
Alice (Deaett) Shread, 90, of Falmouth, Mass. passed away on April 29, 2020.
Alice was born in Providence, R.I. on August 10, 1929, the youngest of seven children of the late Elton Harold and Elise Bernadette (Fournier) Deaett. She grew up in the Smith Hill section of Providence, R.I. She liked to call herself a "Smith Hill bum." That may not be far from the truth, as she grew up in Depression-era poverty. She was a graduate of a Providence trade program.
After graduation, she worked in the Industrial National Bank in Providence, where a tall good-looking letter carrier caught her eye and well, that was that. She always said she chased him until he caught her. They loved each other and were good friends until cancer took him prematurely in 1994.
Later in life, after raising a family, she worked for Farmers Home Administration in Concord, N.H. She also enjoyed volunteering at churches and in soup kitchens.
Early in their marriage, Paul and Alice lived in Rehoboth, Mass. As their finances improved, they moved to Barrington, R.I. to offer their children a good education and safe environment in which to grow up. Later in life, they retired to Sunapee, N.H., but quickly tired of the snow. One winter, it snowed so much they had to rent heavy equipment and an operator to remove all the snow. She said "horsesh*t to that" and they subsequently moved to Falmouth, Mass. in 1993 to enjoy the mild weather in their retirement years.
She was a study in contrasts. She would happily watch "Sex and the City," and equally happily attend church the same day. She was plain-spoken and occasionally blunt, and loved by many who felt welcome in her home. She held strong opinions and would freely express them, yet would also reflect thoughtfully and change her mind when presented with new information.
She thoroughly enjoyed a good game of Scrabble at the local senior center, not caring if she was beaten badly by the local expert - she just enjoyed the competition. She discovered Words with Friends on her iPad and juggled 5 or more games simultaneously, again not caring if she won or lost. Once she got the hang of email and the chat feature in Words, look out!
Some of her fondest memories were of hot summer days at the old Galilee Beach (now Salty Brine) with her family and a big box of Allie's Donuts getting all melty in the sun. The fun in the sun was followed by clamcakes and chowder at George's of Galilee. One of her favorite songs was Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun" because it seemed to capture that time in her life and the seemingly endless perfect summer days she treasured. She valued travel and family, even if it meant cross-country trips with three kids sitting in the back of a station wagon.
Her cooking skills were legendary. Cheesecakes, beef stroganoff, lasagna and baked beans were all appreciated by family and friends alike. She was usually the one to host holiday gatherings for family and friends, and did so with gusto and a cocktail under her belt. She called her drink of choice a "martooni."
Her gardening projects were never ending, with the ability to identify every plant and tree in her backyard. She continued to cut her grass and tend to her yard into her mid 80s. She threw her back out late in life hauling around 50-pound bags of mulch. If she could, she would do it herself as she hated the thought of paying someone else to do it.
Sitting on her back deck, she was able to identify birds by listening to their songs.
She was a long-time communicant of St. Luke's Church in Barrington, R.I.; St. Patrick's Church in Falmouth, Mass.; and St. Joachim Mission in Sunapee, N.H.
She was predeceased by her husband, Paul J. Shread Sr. She is survived by a daughter, Marie F. Beardwood and her husband Jim of Jeju-do, South Korea; and two sons, Paul J. Shread, Jr. and wife Marina of Clarksville, Md., and Peter J. Shread and wife Christine of Celebration, Fla. and North Dartmouth, Mass. She leaves four grandchildren, Alicia and Evangela of Maryland, Alex of Arlington, Mass. and Olivia of Florida and Massachusetts. She was the youngest and only remaining member of the big Deaett clan. Affectionately called "Peanut" by her big brothers and sisters, they have all predeceased her, but are waiting with open arms for a big noisy Deaett family reunion. Her late brothers are Harold, Pete, Don, and Chet Deaett. Her late sisters are Rita Caulkins and Margie Wallace. She also leaves behind a slew of much-loved nieces and nephews as well as her beloved sister-in-law Betty (Shread) Loiselle and her husband Walter.
If you would like to honor Alice's memory, a donation to Amos House (AmosHouse.com) in Providence would be appreciated. She and her late husband Paul supported that organization for many years and firmly believed in its mission and work.
Memorial service will be held at a later date.