1942
Alice
2024
Alice Fern DeCuir Richter
November 20, 1942 — April 16, 2024
College Station
Alice Fern DeCuir Richter passed away on April 16, 2024, at home surrounded by her husband and children. Alice was 81 years old.
Alice was born on November 20, 1942, to Ferna M. and Charles G. DeCuir in Port Arthur, Texas. Alice and her brother, Charles McCloy DeCuir, grew up in Port Arthur and Alice often recounted fond childhood memories of the family watermelon stand, DeCuir’s Cold Melons, Christmas celebrations in Woodville, TX, spending time with extended family, and attending St. James Catholic School and Bishop Byrne High School. Even as a girl, Alice was multifaceted. Alice was just as comfortable attending outdoor camp at Camp Waluta as she was competing in local pageants, where she was a Cavoilcade Princess. After graduating from Bishop Byrne High School in 1960, Alice attended Lamar University and Texas Woman’s University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics.
After college, Alice moved to College Station, Texas where she worked as a laboratory technician at Texas A&M University in the biochemistry department. Later, while working for the Texas A&M Extension Service, she met Ronald L. Richter. After their wedding on December 23, 1970, Ron and Alice moved to St. Paul, Minnesota for Ron’s first job. While in Minnesota, Alice and Ron’s daughter Laura was born. After the family moved to Gainesville, Florida, Alice and Ron welcomed son, Charles Frederick “Rick” Richter to the family. Always a Texas girl at heart, Alice was thrilled when the family returned to College Station in 1977.
Alice embodied a graceful blend of traditional values and modern sensibilities. Professionally, Alice was a Registered Dietician, but her self-proclaimed primary vocation was as wife and mother. Alice chose to be a full-time homemaker while her children were young. She was a talented seamstress who created clothes and quilts using her trusty Singer machine housed in a wooden sewing cabinet. Her home was always welcoming and beautifully decorated for the season. In the early 1980s Alice returned to work as a part-time dietician at Greenleaf Psychiatric Hospital. In the years that followed, Alice served as the Director of Food Service at Crestview Retirement Community and the Director of Child Nutrition for Bryan ISD until she retired in 2004. True to form, even when Alice was responsible for managing the daily nutrition of thousands of students, she still packed homemade lunches for her beloved family.
Alice invested great love and energy into making dinner at the Richter household special. Almost every night, she gathered her family around the 3’ x 3.5’ kitchen table (from her childhood kitchen) where they could enjoy a home-cooked meal. There, her loved ones developed the strong bonds and shared experiences which are her legacy. On holidays and special occasions, Alice would move the family to a larger table Alice’s own mother had used as a girl. She would lay out a freshly ironed tablecloth and her mother’s china and silver settings.
Alice approached any endeavor with a servant’s heart. She demonstrated her dedication to family, providing loving and compassionate care to her mother Ferna who lived with the family in her later years. Alice’s dedication to others extended outside her home. While working at Crestview Retirement Community she fell in love with the work of the Crestview Volunteers. After her retirement, Alice became an active member of the Crestview Volunteers. She served many roles in the organization and its members became valued friends. Alice was life-long member of the Catholic Church, a regular attendee, and cultivated the faith within her children.
Alice was preceded in death by her parents, Charles G. DeCuir and Ferna McCloy Decuir, and her brother Charles M. DeCuir. Left to cherish Alice’s memory and legacy are her husband, Ronald L. Richter, and daughter, Laura Richter, both of College Station; her son, Charles Frederick “Rick” Richter of Driggs, Idaho; her sister-in-law Darlene Richter Joyce and husband Joe of Emmetsburg, Iowa; her sister-in-law Deanna Richter of Ledyard, Iowa; her nieces and nephews, Edith Christine DeCuir of Houston and Billie Jo Joyce (Thad) Louwagie and Patrick (Jessica) Joyce of Emmetsburg, Iowa; her great niece and great nephews Kylee Jo Hoffman, Carson Hoffman, and Tate Joyce of Emmetsburg, Iowa, extended family Annette Bie, Linzy Sakellrides, and Taylor Bie of Largo, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to:
The Crestview Volunteers
2505 Villa Maria Road
Bryan, TX 77802
Alice was born on November 20, 1942, to Ferna M. and Charles G. DeCuir in Port Arthur, Texas. Alice and her brother, Charles McCloy DeCuir, grew up in Port Arthur and Alice often recounted fond childhood memories of the family watermelon stand, DeCuir’s Cold Melons, Christmas celebrations in Woodville, TX, spending time with extended family, and attending St. James Catholic School and Bishop Byrne High School. Even as a girl, Alice was multifaceted. Alice was just as comfortable attending outdoor camp at Camp Waluta as she was competing in local pageants, where she was a Cavoilcade Princess. After graduating from Bishop Byrne High School in 1960, Alice attended Lamar University and Texas Woman’s University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics.
After college, Alice moved to College Station, Texas where she worked as a laboratory technician at Texas A&M University in the biochemistry department. Later, while working for the Texas A&M Extension Service, she met Ronald L. Richter. After their wedding on December 23, 1970, Ron and Alice moved to St. Paul, Minnesota for Ron’s first job. While in Minnesota, Alice and Ron’s daughter Laura was born. After the family moved to Gainesville, Florida, Alice and Ron welcomed son, Charles Frederick “Rick” Richter to the family. Always a Texas girl at heart, Alice was thrilled when the family returned to College Station in 1977.
Alice embodied a graceful blend of traditional values and modern sensibilities. Professionally, Alice was a Registered Dietician, but her self-proclaimed primary vocation was as wife and mother. Alice chose to be a full-time homemaker while her children were young. She was a talented seamstress who created clothes and quilts using her trusty Singer machine housed in a wooden sewing cabinet. Her home was always welcoming and beautifully decorated for the season. In the early 1980s Alice returned to work as a part-time dietician at Greenleaf Psychiatric Hospital. In the years that followed, Alice served as the Director of Food Service at Crestview Retirement Community and the Director of Child Nutrition for Bryan ISD until she retired in 2004. True to form, even when Alice was responsible for managing the daily nutrition of thousands of students, she still packed homemade lunches for her beloved family.
Alice invested great love and energy into making dinner at the Richter household special. Almost every night, she gathered her family around the 3’ x 3.5’ kitchen table (from her childhood kitchen) where they could enjoy a home-cooked meal. There, her loved ones developed the strong bonds and shared experiences which are her legacy. On holidays and special occasions, Alice would move the family to a larger table Alice’s own mother had used as a girl. She would lay out a freshly ironed tablecloth and her mother’s china and silver settings.
Alice approached any endeavor with a servant’s heart. She demonstrated her dedication to family, providing loving and compassionate care to her mother Ferna who lived with the family in her later years. Alice’s dedication to others extended outside her home. While working at Crestview Retirement Community she fell in love with the work of the Crestview Volunteers. After her retirement, Alice became an active member of the Crestview Volunteers. She served many roles in the organization and its members became valued friends. Alice was life-long member of the Catholic Church, a regular attendee, and cultivated the faith within her children.
Alice was preceded in death by her parents, Charles G. DeCuir and Ferna McCloy Decuir, and her brother Charles M. DeCuir. Left to cherish Alice’s memory and legacy are her husband, Ronald L. Richter, and daughter, Laura Richter, both of College Station; her son, Charles Frederick “Rick” Richter of Driggs, Idaho; her sister-in-law Darlene Richter Joyce and husband Joe of Emmetsburg, Iowa; her sister-in-law Deanna Richter of Ledyard, Iowa; her nieces and nephews, Edith Christine DeCuir of Houston and Billie Jo Joyce (Thad) Louwagie and Patrick (Jessica) Joyce of Emmetsburg, Iowa; her great niece and great nephews Kylee Jo Hoffman, Carson Hoffman, and Tate Joyce of Emmetsburg, Iowa, extended family Annette Bie, Linzy Sakellrides, and Taylor Bie of Largo, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to:
The Crestview Volunteers
2505 Villa Maria Road
Bryan, TX 77802
Service Schedule
Past Services
Visitation
Monday, April 22, 2024
4:30 - 6:30 pm (Central time)
Hillier Funeral Home of College Station
Rosary Service
Monday, April 22, 2024
6:30 - 7:30 pm (Central time)
Hillier Funeral Home of College Station
Funeral Mass
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
10:00 - 11:00 am (Central time)
St Thomas Aquinas Church
Committal Service
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
11:30am - 12:00 pm (Central time)
Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery
Guestbook
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