November 2, 2019 (obit date)

AUGUSTA – Alice Survant, age 99 and former resident of Presque Isle for 91 years, passed away on November 2nd in Augusta after a lengthy battle with old age. For the past seven years she had been a resident at Maine General’s Gray Birch Nursing Home in Augusta, where, in addition to staff, she was lovingly cared for by her daughters Connie McDonald of Manchester and Jane Bonville of Cumberland and North Port, FL.

Alice was the youngest child of the late J. Frank and Eva (Macey) Hayes and proud of her English/Irish/ New Brunswick heritage. Having been raised and educated blocks from her home, she graduated from PIHS in 1938. She earned a teaching degree from Aroostook State Teachers College (now UMPI) in Presque Isle and taught elementary grades before joining the war effort to work at the Army Air Corp base in PI. There she met a young captain from Kentucky, Ellis ‘Bud’ Survant, with whom she would marry and raise their family in her home town. While proud of his blue grass roots, and his alma mater the UK Wildcats, Bud embraced his new home town and crafted a successful career in the insurance/employee benefits field, allowing him to introduce Alice to many sections of the country as the result of his qualifying for national sales conventions.

Alice was a very good athlete, having played basketball in her school days and golf for many years at PICC, where she won a number of accolades for her play in women’s leagues and tournaments. She also was an avid Red Sox fan through most of her later years and often agonized over their wins and woes with her son-in-law, Steve Bonville, who suffered and soared with her in this cause from year to year.

Alice also was an accomplished bridge player, and a great cook. She was active in several civic and charitable organizations throughout her life. But most importantly, she was a devoted to her family and friends.

Alice was an active communicant at St John’s Episcopal Church, where she was baptized, confirmed, married, sang in the choir, and will be buried from, for over 90 years.

In addition to her daughters, Alice is survived by and was a loving “Nana” to four grandchildren: Alison (Manchester) and Bill (Veazie) McDonald; and Erin Elizabeth (South Portland) and Michael Bonville (Bozeman, MT); “Gigi” to seven great grandchildren; and niece and nephew Sherry Armistead (Grafton, MA) and Bill Bryant (Los Altos Hills, CA).

She was predeceased by her beloved Bud (Lt Col USAF) in 2004; her sister Helen Bryant; brother Frank Hayes; and nephew Jim Hayes all of Presque Isle.

A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, November 8, 2019, 11AM, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 52 Second Street in Presque Isle. Interment will follow services at Fairmount Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to St. John’s Episcopal Church.  Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at duncan-graves.com