Alice White (19 Jul 1916 - 29 Mar 2020)
Funeral Director
In loving memory of Alice White who sadly passed away on 29th March 2020 aged 103 years.
Alice Willard White, born Alice Willard Jeffrey on 19th July 1916 at 129 Windmill Street, Gravesend and when asked by doctors for her date of birth, she always added the precise address!!
The Windmill Street garden backed on to Sheppey Place and from there, it was a short walk to her Infants School in Wrotham Road. Alice was the first of five children, and for four years she enjoyed being an only child with parents, older aunts and cousins. Then her sister Margaret arrived, followed by Robert, George and Diana. The family moved to Stanford-le-Hope, Essex where Alice then went to the school immediately opposite their terraced house.
At age 14, Alice left school on a Friday, her Aunt Lily from Gravesend came to Stanford to collect her, and on Monday, Alice was working in Gravesend as a home help, doing domestic duties with Alderman and Mrs Berry. Alice’s friend Maud White from the GFS, Girls Friendly Society invited Alice to her Denton home for tea. There she met Maud’s brother William White and courting commenced.
They were married 7th December 1940 (war time) at Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. During the war, Alice joined the WAAFs as LAC Leading Aircraftwoman so that she could be stationed with her husband Will, who was in the RAF. Alice was very proud of her wartime service in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and continued going to WAAF meetings in Chatham, late into her eighties.
At the end of the war, Alice and Will lived in rooms at Granville Road, then they obtained a council house in Oak Road. In the 1950s and 1960s, Alice would ride her bicycle a considerable distance down Singlewell Road, trailing a barrow to the allotment, sometimes at five o’clock in the morning. She helped out at jumble sales at the Congregational Church and was a constant parent-helper at Whitehill School for Christmas parties and trips out.
Finally, Alice and her family moved to Colyer Road in Northfleet. Two daughters Jenny and Susan were raised and they married and left Gravesend.
Alice and William were very keen members of the Gravesend Historical Society and they were also loyal members of the Imperial Paper Mills Stamp Club. They took themselves on UK trips and later, all over the world to Europe, Canada and the USA. They were both proud of their Gravesend roots and took an interest in local history.
Alice’s husband died suddenly in 1981 so they were married some 40 years and Alice was widowed for nearly 40 years. Once widowed, Alice moved first to Windmill Street then in 2001 to Regents Court in West Street, overlooking the River Thames. Here she lived close to the site of the 1734 public house The Holy Lamb where one of her ancestors Haffel Coy was the licensed victualler and she could attend St George’s church, where he was named in the bell tower boards as a bell-ringer in the 1730s. Alice really was close to where her ancestors lived, worked and worshipped.
By accepting every invitation going for coach outings with all the different Gravesend churches and clubs, and socialising at Regents Court, Alice’s life was full. She watched with pride as firstly four grand-children arrived then five great-grandchildren and kept a close interest in all family news and events.
After all the parties and celebrations at the 100th birthday parties in 2016, life slowed down a little. It became clear that some carers were needed and North West Kent Age UK stepped into the breach. Her shopping trips and coffee outings with Nikki filled her with joy and they formed a solid partnership, maybe with some giggling to help along the way.
Alice died in Darent Valley Hospital just four months short of being 104. She devoted her life to loving others and she died knowing that she was well loved. In her own words “she had had a good innings.”
Found in Alice’s document chest – I was born in July 1916 in Gravesend, Kent. My father was a Chief Petty Officer in Minesweepers in WW1.
Before I started school at 5 years in Wrotham Road, I can remember my father rubbing “Horse Oil”, a white embrocation, with a Horse Head on the label, on my knees before going to sleep at night. As I got a little older, the doctor told my mother and me that it was “growing pains”.
As a young child, I had scarlatina but I was an only child so did not go to the Fever Hospital. I was bathed daily in sulphur water in front of the range and my clothes were put into the oven to kill the germs.
As a baby, I had meningitis. The German doctor would come in daily and he would strike a match to see if I was blind. My father had six weeks compassionate leave from the Navy and I was carried around on a pillow. My mother told me they had no idea how I caught this since I was an only child.
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Among the very happy memories of times John and Gwen shared with Alice is this, the day before her 101st birthday, with lunch at The Yorkshire Rose in Warfield.
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![Celebrating Alice's birthday in 2003 on the London Eye. We have such fond memories of meeting her and being her guests in Gravesend. Judy & Marilyn, San Anselmo, CA](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/ezz_8e-7ZUPB8Yx3JF9-2fEvYao=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/40cd66e5-5cf9-4877-a29b-c2b30d8d1020.jpg)
Celebrating Alice's birthday in 2003 on the London Eye. We have such fond memories of meeting her and being her guests in Gravesend. Judy & Marilyn, San Anselmo, CA
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Alice and Joyce when they met in March this year. Mum will miss the phone calls. God bless Joyce, Linda and Tim Jeffrey.
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Alice in Sulham woods, Tilehurst in April 2019. Alice said she hadn't been to see bluebells for years
![Alice White](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/KbSfUBT2DKuVzadiWAcAv3ameYk=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/f164b8cb-d2d0-4040-a7da-ca1a2841b907.jpg)
![Alice with the Royal Swan Marker celebrating her 99th birthday, Swan-Upping on the Thames](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/ED0E13-rohbFMswybuLjcS08PwM=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/00c4ba70-3107-4758-8bbf-5c43403daea1.jpg)
Alice with the Royal Swan Marker celebrating her 99th birthday, Swan-Upping on the Thames
Among the very happy memories of times John and Gwen shared with Alice is this, the day before her 101st birthday, with lunch at The Yorkshire Rose in Warfield.
![Lots of love and thanks for the happy memories! Marco xx](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/SOubX6spBifL638DYeiuFTGO5h8=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/c1f1fd36-587f-4d02-8633-07ba6b124186.jpeg)
Lots of love and thanks for the happy memories! Marco xx
![At Inn on The Lake on Alice's 100th birthday 2016](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/X6RCavS0eCMa1QwRGqLLaKC1C5Q=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/cdf01e27-9ccc-4832-9dd0-9688fbdbc16c.jpg)
At Inn on The Lake on Alice's 100th birthday 2016
![Surprise, surprise](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/n8CY5Yv3S41aRwfVcpD_x9kTyco=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/e9ffa614-911f-43cd-bfa0-c74b2c1796a4.jpeg)
Surprise, surprise
![Greeting Alice at her surprise 100th party!](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/-xg1ewn2docJgfh0ZaNO-4PWAiM=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/082d5adf-e514-44ff-bc3e-755072888056.jpeg)
Greeting Alice at her surprise 100th party!
![Celebrating Alice's birthday in 2003 on the London Eye. We have such fond memories of meeting her and being her guests in Gravesend. Judy & Marilyn, San Anselmo, CA](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/ezz_8e-7ZUPB8Yx3JF9-2fEvYao=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/40cd66e5-5cf9-4877-a29b-c2b30d8d1020.jpg)
Celebrating Alice's birthday in 2003 on the London Eye. We have such fond memories of meeting her and being her guests in Gravesend. Judy & Marilyn, San Anselmo, CA
Alice and Joyce when they met in March this year. Mum will miss the phone calls. God bless Joyce, Linda and Tim Jeffrey.
Alice in Sulham woods, Tilehurst in April 2019. Alice said she hadn't been to see bluebells for years
Alice in Sulham woods April 2019
![Blowing the cobwebs away down at the prom x](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/CZDXv5mmAp-soZm7D5DGjheQHH4=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/275ee91b-a652-4693-a4f5-ff8a3671a0d4.jpeg)
Blowing the cobwebs away down at the prom x
![Me and my friend Alice at Millbrook Garden centre, Having lunch with Sue and John x](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/leEb7qlfdBiSCfoQp68rUPwqf0g=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/78bf8caa-1d88-4482-867c-7a478c9aa61f.jpeg)
Me and my friend Alice at Millbrook Garden centre, Having lunch with Sue and John x
![One of our many trips to Millbrook Garden Centre :-) This was a particularly giggly day x](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/DeWYbTV8Zu4ikgjDNAgwyAa8nCs=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/2278c7dd-504a-43f8-9496-d2945f5042fd.jpeg)
One of our many trips to Millbrook Garden Centre :-) This was a particularly giggly day x
![](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/dw83d5UCcuYSELddeyoXqOh1CXo=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/b3ead4ac-7f07-4d0e-9cc0-92488e73c8f3.jpg)
![](https://d24pb0tc2lc7uj.cloudfront.net/V5MjpvcOYYZ7F-1C1E_7TNARESY=/fit-in/800x600/public/assets/uploads/aa037c2e-b87d-49b0-9826-1217c05c7fe4.jpg)
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