Alice Benkley (née McDonough) was taken from us on November 19, 2023, at the age of 92.   A longtime resident of Lexington, MA, Alice lived with her family in the Sun Valley neighborhood for more than sixty years.  Alice spent the final months of her life at the Atrium at Cardinal Drive, a dedicated dementia care facility located in Agawam, MA, where she passed away of natural causes.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Douglass Funeral Home, 51 Worthen Road, Lexington, MA. Visiting immediately prior to service beginning at 10AM

Alice was born on May 31, 1931, in Boston, MA.  She was the first child of John and Ethel McDonough, who were married on June 5, 1930.  The couple went on to have two additional children, Robert and Ethel, before John succumbed to a battle with cancer at the age of 27.  On September 16, 1946, Alice's mother, Ethel, married James Mahoney and bore four more children, James, Mary, Janice, and Karen.

Alice attended Hyde Park High School in Boston, MA.  After graduating in 1949, she began her career as a secretary at Melpar, Inc. in Watertown, MA, where she met her husband-to-be Fred George Benkley Jr.  Fred and Alice began dating in the summer of 1958, approximately one year after Fred had lost his first wife.  The couple married on February 14, 1959, and Alice adopted Fred's three young sons, Bruce Alan, Carl Warren, and Fred George III.

In March 1961, Fred and Alice welcomed their first child, Kurt Brian.  Mark Vincent and Paul Dallas followed in September 1962 and May 1964, respectively.

After dedicating her early married years to caring for the seven men in her life, Alice returned to work in 1976, seeking a new career, one that would let her put her considerable talents to use and permit her to do what she did best, help others.  Alice took a position as a travel consultant at Patriot Travel in Lexington, MA and quickly developed a loyal group of clients that relied on her engaging personality, growing expertise, and thoughtful approach.  She was able to visit many parts of the world thanks to numerous FAM (familiarization) trips that she took.  Alice's firsthand knowledge of popular destinations allowed her to provide informed advice to her clients.

Her success as a travel consultant for Patriot Travel and, later, Travel to Europe, eventually encouraged Alice to purchase Travel to Europe and establish her own agency.  In 1985, Alice opened Above & Beyond Travel in a small office above the local camera store in Lexington, specializing in international travel.  In lieu of pursuing profits, Alice's goals for the agency were to create memorable trips for her clients, foster relationships with them, and continue to explore the world herself.

Alice's greatest strength was her ability to understand and connect with people.  She was adored by those she met.  Never judgmental, Alice listened carefully and offered sound advice with a gentle hand. She often joked that she was part travel agent and part psychotherapist.

Alice was also quick to pay compliments.  When she would encounter someone that she found to be smartly dressed, she would let them know how nice they looked, commenting afterward that it costs one nothing to pay someone a compliment but that the kind words could do much to make a person feel good about themself.  That was Alice.

Alice's love for travel was borne out of the life-changing experience of living abroad with her family for two-plus years in Southwold, England (1971-73).  Alice thrived in the small-town environment.  Owing to her charm and despite being a foreigner, she was quickly embraced by the locals.  Alice established friendships that endured a lifetime, and she returned to Southwold many times after repatriating to the U.S. in 1973.

In 1994, Alice obtained an Irish passport based on her grandmother's birthplace in the Republic of Ireland.  Alice's Irish heritage helped explain her quick wit and seemingly bottomless well of sage and clever sayings and lyrics that she aptly drew upon to address almost any situation.

Active in her community, Alice volunteered at the Lexington-Delores Hidalgo sister city committee boutique, La Tienda, sang in the church choir, and visited and provided meals to patients at Metropolitan State Hospital.

Alice spent her life serving others.  It was part of her DNA.

Alice was preceded in death by her husband Fred George Benkley Jr., who passed away on July 19, 2022; her parents, Ethel Mahoney and John McDonough; her brother Robert McDonough; her sister Ethel Donovan (McDonough); and her sister Janice Mahoney.  She is survived by her brother James Mahoney of Norwood, MA; her sister Mary Newman (Mahoney) of Norton, MA; her sister Karen Sullivan (Mahoney) of Foxborough, MA; her beloved cousins; her six loving sons: Bruce A. Benkley and spouse Wendy (Larson) of Iron River, MI; Carl W. Benkley and spouse Nina (Hopkins) of Carlisle, MA; Fred G. Benkley III and spouse Heather (Halpin) of Middleton, MA; Kurt B. Benkley and spouse Laurie (Drews) of Port Washington, WI; Mark V. Benkley and spouse Joanne (McMullin) of Easthampton, MA; and Paul D. Benkley and spouse Nathalie (Maréchal) of Collex-Bossy, GE Switzerland; thirteen grandchildren, Christina (Benkley) James and spouse Trevor, David Benkley and spouse Lacy (Nelson), Marie, Dylan, Brianna, Bianca, Luke, Elise, John, Norah, Tyler, Emily, and Melissa; and four great grandchildren, Noah, Grace, Eden, and Ezra.