Obituary of Alice F. Schmutz

Alice Schmutz, 78 of Essex, beloved mother, grandmother, passionate artist and friend to many, died on June 10, 2014 in New Haven, CT. She was born in Newark, NJ, the daughter of Karl and Alice (Fleet) Hilterhaus and grew up in Belleville, NJ. A member of the National Honor Society of Secondary Schools, Alice graduated from Bellville HS. Alice attended Bates College in Maine where she earned a BA in Spanish. Alice spent the early years of her adult life dedicated to providing her three children every opportunity to learn, play and grow. After moving to Lyme in 1983 Alice started an incredible journey that included volunteerism, recreation, travel and art. Whether it was registering people to vote or helping at High Hopes, Alice impacted the community through volunteerism in such a positive unassuming way. She enjoyed time on the Connecticut River with her family and friends. She worked for Angler Adventures and was a member of Hamburg Cove Yacht Club and Essex Corinthian Yacht Club. Alice was also an active member of the AAUW, played in three bridge groups and volunteered parking cars at the Hamburg fair as a member of the Lyme Congregational Church. She enjoyed travel near and far with friends and family which included exploring places like Rome, Paris, and Machu Picchu as well as enjoying annual family gatherings at Mohonk. Alice loved to paint and shared her artistic pursuits with longtime friends and family. Those pursuits introduced her to new friends as she sought new and unique opportunities to express herself through her endearing artwork. Alice left the world a better place as she touched and enriched so many lives while living life to the fullest. Alice is survived by her sister Anna Foote(Winthrop) and her three children; Anne Peterson and her husband Greg (Ivoryton), Chris Schmutz (Hong Kong), Jim Schmutz and his wife Deirdre (Silver Spring, MD). She was a proud grandmother of five; Tyler Schmutz, Trevor Schmutz, Terence Schmutz, Sean Peterson and Emily Peterson. Funeral services will be privately held by her family. Alice supported many nonprofits so in that spirit, memorial contributions in Alice's name may be made to a charity of the donor's choice. To share a memory of Alice or send a condolence to her family please visit www.rwwfh.com Arrangements by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.