Alice Mary Karam

Daughter of the late Alexander N. Karam and Celina H. Karam of Nogales, AZ. 

Preceded in death by 4 siblings:  George M. Karam, Lydia (Karam) Taheny, Celina “Sally” (Karam) Mayer, and Lorraine (Karam) Cappello and by nephews, Michael A. Karam and Theodore “Ted” Taheny and by her faithful dog, Fifi.   She is survived by her sister, Ann Marie Karam of Nogales, and her sister-in-law, Jane Karam and 21 nieces and nephews:  Michael Taheny, Ann Marie Taheny Miller, Brian Taheny, Lydia Taheny, Fr. Mark Taheny, Jeannette Taheny, John “Jack” Taheny, Mary Ann Taheny, Richard Mayer, Steve Mayer, Thomas Mayer, Alice (Mayer) Heaton, Lorraine ‘(Mayer) Soto, Jeanne (Mayer) Day, Celina Karam (Venditto), Paula (Karam) Lent, Rose Ann Karam, Alexander Cappello, George Cappello, Ramona Cappello, Gerard Cappello and also by at least 52+ great and great-great nieces and nephews. 

Alice grew up in Nogales, AZ and graduated from Nogales High School at the end of World War II.  She attended Dominican College in San Rafael, CA for 1 year and got her bachelor’s degree in social work from UC Berkeley shortly thereafter.  She obtained her master’s degree in Psychiatric Social Work from San Francisco State University in 1971. Alice was a Psychiatric Social Worker for the City and County of San Francisco for over 30+ years handling the most difficult of cases helping children who had been severely abused and/or neglected by their foster families.  She retired about 35 years ago, but even at the age of 99, she still reminisced about the children she had tried to protect when she was a Social Worker.  She loved each one of them and worried about them as though they were her own children.  She kept them close to her heart all these years.  Alice loved children and took her job as their protector very seriously to try to restore their dignity and respect.  She strove to give “her kids” as she called them, hope for a better future and a chance for a happier and productive life.   She was highly respected in her field of Social Work and by the children she protected.   

Alice passed just 2 months shy of her 100th birthday.  She was gentle and soft spoken, yet feisty and fiercely independent even up to the end.  She just wanted to go home and be with her family at the end of her life, but it was not in God’s plan.  She was loving and loyal to all her family and extended family.  She loved to go shopping and dine out with friends and family.  Her tastes were impeccable.  She was an elegant, dignified, and exquisite person in every aspect of her life.  Alice outlived many of the stores and restaurants that she frequented.   

She would call her sisters daily and visit her sister, Lydia Taheny, and her nieces and nephews almost weekly and sometimes daily.  She loved to go out to lunch and dinner with family whenever possible.  She had monthly luncheons with Friends and joined an investing group for senior women when she was in her mid-80’s.  Aunt Alice never missed a family gathering in San Francisco at the Taheny household.  Even neighbor’s children called her “Aunt Alice”.  She was at the Taheny house for every birth, birthday party, first Holy Communion, confirmation, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, school play, graduation ceremony, wedding, funeral, impromptu family gatherings, as well as luncheons and dinners that were just for the heck of it.   

She visited her sister and nieces and nephews in Nogales every year for extended periods of time.  Aunt Alice was there for all the family and even the community.  She was a Eucharistic Minister at her parish, St. Dominic’s, in San Francisco.   She brought Holy Communion to Catholics in the hospital, assisted living facilities or hospice and prayed with them.  She was a devoted, life long Catholic.      

Alice was dearly beloved and very close to all her family, especially her sister, Ann Marie Karam.  She had a very close and special bond with her nephew Brian Taheny who devoted his life to caring for Aunt Alice for the final 12 years of Alice’s life and up until the very last day of her life.  Aunt Alice’s loving devotion to Brian was just as deeply profound.   Alice loved her life, and she loved her bigger than life family.   

In 2015, while Alice’s sister lay dying in the hospital, her niece asked Aunt Alice if she too wanted a “Do Not Resuscitate” directive in her medical records.  Aunt Alice exclaimed loudly, “NO!!!!”  I want to be resuscitated!  I want everything that can be done, to be done to keep me alive!  When I go out of this world, I want to go out kicking and screaming!”  This quote from Aunt Alice sums up her life and her death.  She loved life.  She loved her family.  She fought the good fight to live the way she wanted to live up until her body became too weak to fight any more and her freedom was taken away from her.   

Viewing for Alice Mary Karam will be at Adair’s Carroon Mortuary 1191 N. Grand Ave., Nogales, AZ 85621 at 4:00 pm on Friday 6/7/2024 followed immediately with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 4:30 pm and family Eulogies.  A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 272 N. Rodriquz St., Nogales, AZ at 11:00 am on Saturday 6/8/2024.  Burial will take place immediately after at City of Nogales Cemetery in Nogales, AZ  

Donations in honor of the memory of Alice Mary Karam can be made to the following charities: 

Little Sisters of the Poor, 300 Lake Street, San Francisco, CA 94118  Donations - Little Sisters of the Poor San Francisco - Support us today! 

or The St. Vincent De Paul Society, 829 S 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 Give | The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (stvincentdepaul.net)