ALICE ALENA CLOUTIER CARTER
January 31, 1942-November 24, 2020

Alice was born the last of eight children to Milton Cloutier and Florence Meziere Cloutier of Alexandria, LA. She attended St. James Catholic High School in Alexandria, La and spent summers with much older brothers on the family farm at Melrose near Natchitoches, LA. Dan and Alice started dating while students at Southern University and were married while students. Upon graduation Dan committed to enter the Air Force pilot training program but due to the Air Force failure to provide a firm training date Dan and Alice accepted jobs teaching school in towns approximately 100 miles apart. Dan eventually accepted a scientist job with General Electric at Hanford and the family moved to Richland the summer of 1964.

In 1965 Alice accepted a job with Battelle Northwest and later with Hanford Environmental Health Foundation. She moved to the local business sector overseeing various business endeavors: as the manager and investor with the Matrix Project in the East Pasco Urban Renewal area, owner-manager of Genie Services and Genie Tours, owner-manager of National Car Rental Tri Cities and Yakima, and owner-operator of West Richland’s first US Post Office.

Alice participated in and supported numerous community events and organizations: member Columbia Basin College (CBC) Foundation Board of Directors (group that was hands-on with the CBC Faculty Winter Art show/auction that raised scholarship funds), chaired fundraising drive for Martin Luther King, Jr. statue on campus of CBC, treasurer of West Richland Chamber of Commerce and provided office space for the chamber, and member City of Richland Youth Accountability Commission.

Alice was the founder and first president of Links, Inc. of Tri Cities and coordinator of the Links’ sponsored Ebony Fashion Fair; member Altrusa Club of Richland, West Richland Senior Center, and PEO of Tri Cities. She drove the family full-size van on many trips to Boy Scout camps and drill team events.

She always opened her home to family members, friends, and other people relocating to the Tri Cities. Had a great passion for music (sang in St James Catholic High School choir and Central United Protestant Church choir for approximately 30 years). She enjoyed fishing on Moses Lake and the Washington coast, and traveling (organized and lead tour groups throughout the US and many tours to WSU, Mariner and Seahawks games). She traveled to England and Japan.

Alice was preceded in death by her parents and seven siblings and is survived by Dan, her husband of 58 years, Sons Paul and Andre’, daughter Dana, four grandkids, two great grandkids, and numerous extended family members. Due to Covid-19 restrictions and celebration of life will be held the summer of 2021 if gathering restrictions are relaxed.