King, Alyce Amelia Bair

RUPERT, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —Our beloved mother, grandmother, and “grandma great”, Alyce Amelia Bair King, age 90, was called home on August 23, 2023. She passed away peacefully from Alzheimer’s and the effects of old age.

Born June 5, 1933, in Heyburn, ID to Milton Earl and Lydia Allen Bair, Alyce was the seventh of eight children. So tiny that she fit on her father’s forearm, she wasn’t supposed to live to see her first birthday. But her tenacity helped her defy the odds and she lived a full and vibrant life, even after having open heart surgery 20 years ago. She was very proud of that part of her medical history and enjoyed showing people her scar to prove it.

Alyce was a good student and graduated from Burley High School. Alyce excelled in art from a young age and had a keen eye for what was good and beautiful. This came in handy upon selecting her eternal companion. Soon after Vern William King returned home from his mission, Alyce saw him at church and was determined to get to know him better. She was successful in that endeavor, and the couple was married on March 25, 1953, in the Idaho Falls Temple. Eight days later, Vern shipped out for Korea, and it was 11 months before they were reunited. During the course of their life, Vern and Alyce raised six children (five to adulthood): Robert (Renee) King of West Jordan, UT; Ronda (Kent) Dalton of Tucson, AZ; Mark (Kitty) King of Oakley, UT; Marla (Mike) McLeod of Acworth, GA; and Beverly Kinsey of Springville, UT.

Alyce was preceded in death by her husband, Vern; her daughter, Bernice, who passed away as a fun-loving, sweet 8-year-old, and her son, Robert.

The two built a wonderful life on their homestead in Idaho, where Alyce worked alongside Vern farming and performing all the tasks of a loving wife and mother. Favorite memories include her making breakfast early in the morning while the children sat on then orange/now green upholstered spinning stools, ladybug-painted rocks, shooting magpies with BB guns, and her educating everyone on the proper way to sit down on the couch.

Alyce also worked at the telephone company as an operator and at the Burley bank as a teller. She helped the other women balance their tills at the end of the day because she had such great math skills. She was also excellent at sewing and loved to make clothes for her children and their dolls. She enjoyed theater and musicals and particularly enjoyed her daughter Ronda singing and playing the piano at Heirloom, the care center where Alyce lived out the remaining years of her life.

Upon Vern’s retirement, he and Alyce served a mission to Nauvoo, Illinois from 1991-92, which was a perfect fit as Alyce enjoyed people and making new friends. They relocated to Oakley, UT in February 2007 where they enjoyed a slower lifestyle and the opportunity to spend more time with their family. One of Alyce’s greatest joys was her posterity: 28 grandchildren and 73 great-grandchildren (and one on the way). She was attentive to all the grandkids and always requested an update on what was going on in their lives. She would also offer an opinion about that status–whether you wanted it or not! Alyce moved to Price four years ago to be with her daughter Bev.

Of course one of Alyce’s signature talents was her painting–a gift she loved to share with others. Always trying to improve herself, she took several art classes to hone her craft. No one can count how many of her sketches and paintings are hanging in the homes of family and loved ones, truly mementos that will be cherished for years to come. She also gave an eagle painting to each grandson who received his Eagle Scout award, which was no small task.

Like her paintings, Alyce made life beautiful and colorful for all those around her. She was spunky and upbeat and cheerful even to the very end. You would always make her laugh by simply saying the word “pig”, which was the punchline to her favorite joke. She was also faithful in her testimony of her savior, Jesus Christ. Alyce was known for always serving well in her numerous church callings and was an excellent visiting teacher/minister. While we are saddened by Alyce’s passing, we are also thrilled at her reunion with her two children and her loving husband Vern, whom she considered one of her greatest blessings. We will forever be grateful for all that she taught us by word, deed, and example. Since she never let us tell her “goodbye”, we will say “so long” instead.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 30, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - former Rupert Stake Tabernacle, located at 806 G Street, in Rupert, with Bishop Boyd Bingham officiating. Burial will follow at Rupert Cemetery.

Family and friends will be received from 9 until 10:30 a.m. prior to the service.

A webcast of the funeral service will be available and maintained at rasmussenwilson.com

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home of Burley.