Limerick, ME- Alice Jane Eschrich-Simeti, 77, left us on May 23rd, 2024, at home surrounded by the sounds of nature, wonderfully scented candles, her kitty and her daughter Lynne.
She was born in Hartford, CT on December 6, 1946, to Alfred and Pauline Susen. After her parents divorced, she went to live with her father and brother Douglas on a cotton sharecropper farm in Texas until her father’s illness.
Alice then went to live on the East Side of Manhattan with her mother and brother until her strong need for independence had her move out at 17 to get her own apartment in Brooklyn.
While working at an international shipping company, she met and married Henry (Hank) R Boning in 1968. Her daughter, Lynne Denise Boning-Haley came along in October 1968. They lived in both Queens and Brooklyn.
An interesting relationship dynamic came into play when she was once again reunited with her old boyfriend, Frank Eschrich. She became pregnant with their son, Scott Kenneth Boning, who was born in August 1971. She later divorced Hank and married Frank and was married for many years living in Ridgewood, Queens as a homemaker.
After divorcing Frank, she met Giulio Simeti around 1980. Together for almost 15 years before his illness made her change her mind about remarrying again in 1994. Together they bought a delicatessen on Seneca Avenue in Queens, NY named Cherry Valley Deli. They developed this into a successful neighborhood Italian deli.
After Alice took care of her mother Pauline until her death in 1998, and Lynne had already married and relocated to Limington, they decided it was time to come to Maine permanently for the last chapter of their lives.
They bought a beautiful mobile home in Limerick and Giulio was still working in New York and Alice moved in to get things settled in Maine before he moved up. On March 1st, 1999 Giulio was tragically killed in an accident in Maine on his way back to New York. This began her next chapter solo.
Alice turned to her love of nature to help her heal. Her childlike curiosity about everything science, history and nature kept her busy in her later years along with a wonderful group of new friends.
She also kept busy by helping take care of Lynne’s young son, Gage. Gage and his Memere had a special bond that kept her young and busy! She enjoyed and looked forward to the summer visits each year of her grandchildren from New York.
Alice was predeceased by her parents, brother and all three of her husbands.
She is survived by her daughter Lynne and her guy David Merrill, son Scott and his wife Victoria, and grandchildren Gage, Nathaniel, Josh and Hannah.
In line with her love of nature, her request was to have a green burial at the Cedar Brook Burial Ground in Limington. Services will be held on Wednesday, May 29th at 10 am. Please bring your stories to share about Alice and where something colorful to celebrate her life.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Poitras, Neal & York Funeral Home, Cornish, www.mainefuneral.com