Alice Marie Shimmel

Alice Marie (Smith) Shimmel, age 72, of Littleton, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at Dana Farber Brigham after living with cancer over the past year.  She was the loving and devoted wife of John “Jack” Shimmel.

Alice was born in Merced, California, on December 18, 1951, the only daughter to the late Donald E. and Marceline (Souza) Smith.  Raised and early educated in California the family moved to Vermont where she graduated from Rochester High School.  Alice then moved to Massachusetts attended Beth Israel Dental School and became a dental assistant.

While visiting Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, she met her future husband, Jack, and they soon married at St. Anne’s Church in Littleton on September 4, 1976.  They remained in Littleton, where they raised their three children together.

Alice worked for many years as the Cafeteria Manager for the Littleton Public Schools, where she enjoyed interacting with the students, faculty, and parents.

Family was the center of her life; she loved camping and had many happy times over the years at campgrounds including York Maine, Orrs Island Maine, and her summers at Normandy Farms Campground in Foxboro.  Alice enjoyed playing cribbage with Jack and his brothers (usually beating the boys).  Alice was an 8-year breast cancer survivor and took great pleasure in sewing hand-made pillows for other breast cancer patients at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA.  Alice was an avid reader and enjoyed word searches, crosswords, puzzles, and crafts.  Her caring and compassionate demeanor was admired by all who knew her.

Along with her husband Jack, she is survived by her children, Jessica Hayes and husband Michael of Ayer; Nicholas Shimmel and wife Jennifer of Quincy and Alison Polzin and husband Ben of Grand Rapids, Michigan; her grandson Jaxson Shimmel; brothers Greg, Timothy and David Smith and many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Alice for visiting hours on Thursday, March 7, 2024, from 4:00-7:00 pm at the Badger Funeral Home, 347 King St., Littleton.  Her funeral service will be in the funeral home on Friday, March 8, 2024, at 11:00 am.  Burial will follow at Westlawn Cemetery.

We want to thank the doctors and nurses at Dana Farber Brigham and Women’s who took such great care of Alice.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in her memory to
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
450 Brookline Ave.
Boston, MA 0221
www.dana-farber.org