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WATERMAN, ALICE BRIGHAM age 94, passed peacefully from this life with family by her side. She left us on the evening of December 4th, unable to stand but unwilling to lay down, or to paraphrase, unable to fight but unwilling to surrender. We thank God that we had such a woman for our mother. She was born on July 14, 1919 in Niagara Falls, Canada. Alice was the older of two girls. Her parents were Royal Brigham and his wife Helen Knapp Brigham. Alice's childhood was characterized by a strict father and by multiple recurring illnesses. Consequently, the early known world of Alice Brigham was rather small, until she met her husband of 62 years, Robert Ellis Waterman. Bob Waterman was, in many ways, the polar opposite of Alice. Alice was from a small family and Bob was the 15th of 16 children. Alice was well educated, poised, artistic, musical and inclined to follow accepted rules. Bob was not, and sometimes did not. They shared the traits of strength, independence, ambition and perseverance. From that foundation they built a life for themselves and their three sons. Alice's world expanded as she traveled extensively with husband Bob, holding him to his promise "to see the world together" if she would agree to marry him. Bob's swashbuckler's spirit manifested itself in many harrowing travel tales of situations that could have ended the lives of both many years ago. She survived all of life's challenges and she survived her vagabond husband as well. Bob left the partnership in February 2003 after succumbing to cancer at age 81. Alice and Bob moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico from Wichita, Kansas in 1947. At that time, the "Atomic City" was new and so was their family. It was an historic and exciting time in Los Alamos and the Waterman family was blessed to be a part of that significant beginning. Alice and Bob became an integral part of community life and lived their entire life in that small town because they wanted to, not because they had to. Alice outlived most of her old friends, but to her last days, continued to make new friends. Alice's faith led her to become an active member of the United Church of Los Alamos in its founding years. In recent times, she was a member of the Council of Elders. Alice leaves behind three sons and their wives: Kent and Linda; Roger and Emily; and Ted and Lee Ann; eight grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, one great-great grandchild and her sister, Marian Weaver. A service to celebrate the life of Alice Irene Waterman will be held at the United Church in Los Alamos, New Mexico at 12:00 PM on January 11, 2014.
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