Alice Duryea Kinney Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Alice Duryea Kinney, Bakka to her beloved granddaughter Zoë and to those friends who loved her, and Muz to her older daughter Elise, passed peacefully surrounded by her family on November 15th after a short illness. Born in Istanbul, Turkey (Constantinople then) in 1912, Alice’s grit and courage prevailed over a traumatic childhood, traits she showed into her well-lived longevity. Orphaned at a young age, and before she came to the United States, Alice became the face of “Alice in Hungerland”, a silent movie produced by the Near East Foundation in 1921. The film raised money to help feed starving children in Russian Armenia, and because of the film she is credited for saving countless lives. In 2010, the Near East Foundation awarded Alice their Medal of Honor and still holds her in high regard today. After making the film, she was adopted and brought to America by the woman who became her mother, Florence Spencer Duryea. As a young woman, Alice sang in the opera chorus in Chautauqua, NY and always loved music. Growing up in New York City, Alice taught the rumba at The Arthur Murray Studios where she met her husband, John I. Kinney. Alice raised her two daughters, Elise and Judith, in New York and New Jersey, and in 1986, before the birth of her granddaughter Zoë, Alice drove cross-country to live in Butte. Alice was an avid gardener, especially of African violets, and a sharp bridge player. She is best known for her famous brownies, gifts she bestowed on those whose kindness she experienced and wanted to repay. She was preceded in death by her mother, Florence Spencer Duryea, her husband John I. Kinney and is survived by her daughters and granddaughter. The place she occupied in the lives of those she loved will never be filled. She will be missed deeply by her family and remembered by all who loved her. Alice received the Last Rites of the Church and was blessed at her passing; a memorial service will not be held until a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in memory of Alice Duryea Kinney to: The Near East Foundation, 230 Euclid Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210. In her memory: be kind, be patient, be courteous and be loving.

Tributes

Alice Duryea Kinney

August 23, 1912 - November 15, 2015