Alene Mary (Dunlap) Thille

Alene Mary (Dunlap) Thille, age 72, passed away on  Thursday, June 4, 2020 at Mid-Columbia Medical Center, in The Dalles, after a short bout with cancer.

Alene was born in Nyssa, Oregon, on August 19, 1947 to Peggy and Norman Dunlap.  She was the oldest of three girls. The family moved to The Dalles in 1956, and she graduated from The Dalles High School in 1965.

Alene married Howard Thille in August, 1976.  She worked as a hairdresser at Joan’s Beauty Salon on 3rd Street in The Dalles until her retirement.

Alene was an animal lover.  Early in her life she concentrated mostly on dogs named:  Yummy, Honey, Babydoll and Princess.   In her later years she became a cat rescuer to felines named; Andy, Spooky, Trixie and most recently Elizabeth Taylor.  If anyone wanted to come back to life as a cat…Alene’s house would be the place you would want to live.

She was fortunate to have traveled to Ireland, England and Scotland, but her favorite place to travel was the Oregon Coast, which she ran to whenever the occasion arrived.   She was a terrible card player, but played weekly with her friends, because they had good desserts. She was an “Aunt” to the children and grandchildren of her friends, always remembering them on birthdays.

She was a devoted wife and may have even put husband, Howard, above her love of Elizabeth Taylor. She would rarely travel across town without calling to check on him.

Alene is survived by her husband, Howard; step-son and “daughter”, Mike & Tracy Thille; sister Connie Marie; her nephew Jason and nieces Melissa and Stephanie.  Alene always wanted to adopt their nephew, Leigh Kluthe, but he was too old to be adopted and already had parents.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Millie: and the aforementioned dogs & cats and one fish named Fred.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday June 20, at 11:00 a.m., at Spencer Libby and Powell Funeral Home in The Dalles, Oregon, followed immediately by a gathering at Sorosis Park for story telling time.  Bring a chair and food if you want; cake and coffee provided.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Home At Last Animal Shelter, 200 River Rd, The Dalles, OR 97058.