Alice Carnes

Alice Ann Carnes A civic leader of uncommon style and wit, Chinese American International School Board Chair for 10 years, long-time fund raiser for Democrats and Democratic party causes, born 4/8/36 passed away February 8, 2012 after a six-year battle with cancer. She received exceptional care under Lee-May Chen MD and Michael Rabow MD (UCSF), both of whom respected Alice's wish to battle aggressively throughout the course of her disease. Such was Alice's character - to fight good fights and fight them hard. Alice was born in Indianapolis to Frieda and Ned Bottoms, moving to San Francisco in 1958 with her husband, lawyer Tom Carnes. One of the first women to produce television programming in the early, very male-dominated days of TV, Alice blazed trails at KRON where she met, among others,Tom Lantos, later Congressman Lantos, whose 1978 decision to run for office in the 12th District is partially credited to Alice. Tom's daughter had been proposed for the campaign, but Alice insisted, as was her way in delivering painful truths, that Tom own up to his public ambitions and run himself. Tom accepted the challenge and Alice assembled a campaign team heavy on San Mateo movers and shakers like Martha Ziegler to help him win in a year dominated by Ronald Reagan and the Republican wave. Alice's career spanned many fields, but closest to her heart was the Chinese American International School. She was the force of nature and earthly power behind construction of the 150 Oak Street campus for CAIS and its neighbor/partner school FAIS. Alice shepherded CAIS through many chapters of growth and challenge, several heads of school and many, many children and families who remember her fondly. Alice is survived by her husband, Tom, daughter Juliana Carnes Clegg, granddaughter Madeleine Brennan, son-in-law Paul Clegg, and more friends and admirers than we can count. A celebration of Alice's life and contribution to CAIS will be held at CAIS very soon. Details at http://www.cais.org/alicecarnes