Alice V. French, 88, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, formerly of Mount Vernon, Illinois, passed away at 7:45 am October 11, 2020, at NHC Healthcare in Hendersonville. She was born August 24, 1932, in Jefferson County, Illinois, to the late Everett and Ora Mae (Shaw) Burkitt. Alice married Darrell R. French on December 24, 1951, in Mount Vernon, Illinois. They were blessed with nearly 48 years of marriage before he preceded her in death on November 18, 1999.Family, friends, and faith were at the center of Alice’s entire life. Despite having lost her own mother at the age of five, she was a natural at parenting, giving her daughters both roots and wings–protecting, encouraging, and working to instill in them the values she held dear. In both word and deed, she modeled for them kindness, empathy, and honesty. Alice had a deep faith, which was her anchor in times of sadness and uncertainty. She was always ready to dress up (with a little sparkle) and do something fun–especially if it involved live music. Although not really “sporty,” she, after years of living in the Chicago suburb of Aurora, enjoyed cheering on the Cubs. Her quick wit and good humor was evident throughout her final days. Alice is survived by her daughters, Linda French and Christine Cully; grandchildren Matthew Clark and wife Jessie, Alison Ferro and husband Matthew, and Sydney LaRoche and husband Blake Brown; great-grandson Elliot Theodore Brown; sisters Lela Pierce and Ruth Witzel and husband, Lyle; and many nieces and nephews.In addition to her parents and husband, Alice was preceded in death by her daughter, Rhonda LaRoche; her son-in-law Tom Cully; sisters Nadine Grunder and Vera Lee Wilcox; and brothers Baby Burkitt, John Burkitt, Lowell Burkitt, and Dale Burkitt.Due to COVID-19, a memorial service has been postponed until the spring. Inurnment will be held at New Home Cemetery in Bluford, Illinois at a later date. Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.