Alice (Hitch) Marshall Porter, 90, passed Monday, Feb. 15, 2010 surrounded by her family at home.

Born and raised on a farm outside Princeton, Alice and her family moved to town when she was still young.  She graduated from Princeton High School as salutatorian and went on to graduate from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill. majoring in home economics.  While primarily a homemaker, Alice taught high school home economics, worked in the San Francisco Federal Building with security clearance during the first part of World War II and gave classes in ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) following her certification in that art while a resident in Japan. Alice played the organ and/or piano during Methodist Church services for much of her adult life and she was also heavily involved with church women’s groups.  During the Vietnam War, she volunteered as a “Gray Lady” (nursing assistant) at naval hospitals on Guam and in Oakland, Calif.

She was married to Capt. Walter L. “Scotty” Marshall, USN (Ret.), for 61 years. After Scotty’s death in 2003, she married Captain Ross A. Porter, USN (Ret.), who survives.

Accompanying her first husband on his different tours of duty, she and her children lived in several parts of the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Guam, and Japan.  Of these places, Hawaii occupied a special place in her heart and she took great joy in spending two weeks each year in her time-share apartment on Kauai.  Alice traveled widely during her lifetime to such varied places as Canada, England, Hong Kong, Mexico, Yap and Palau (in Micronesia), Panama, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Scotland, Thailand and Vietnam.  She loved car trips and in this manner visited the great majority of the 50 states over the years.

Alice was a devoted mother who encouraged and supported her children in their school activities and career choices, and she always provided a sympathetic ear and sage advice when needed.  She was an avid sports fan—especially of football—and took pleasure in watching games live or on TV.

Survivors include her four children, Keith “Mac” Marshall of Santa Rosa, Calif., Connie Tyson of Lake Oswego, Ore., Gail Jenkin of Temecula, Calif., Lei Ann Marshall of Evanston, Ill.;  five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and (via her second marriage) three step-children.

She was preceded in death by brothers, Dr. Oliver M. Hitch,  William Hitch; and sister, Mary Elizabeth Turber of Mt. Vernon Ind.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the women’s scholarship fund of her P.E.O. chapter (P.E.O. Chapter OH, c/o Jean Blewett, Treasurer, 21257 Twining Avenue, Riverside, Calif. 92518.  Alice’s inurement will be on April 12, 2010 at Riverside National Cemetery.

A memorial service for Alice will take place at 11 a.m., April 11, 2010, in the chapel at Air Force Village West, Riverside, Calif. and the memorial service is limited to family members only.