FRANKLIN — Alyce Page Bryant Kitchen, 87, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 15, 2018. She was born on Nov. 30, 1930, in Southampton County, to Susie Bradshaw Bryant and Millard Roland Bryant.
She was a member of Courtland Baptist Church as a child and attended elementary school in Newsoms and graduated from Courtland High School. From there she graduated from Pan American Business School in Richmond.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband, H. Reginald Kitchen, with whom she shared 54 years of marriage; her parents; three brothers, Joe Bynum Bryant, Gilbert Bryant and Leslie Bush Bryant; a sister, Adelle Bryant Collier; and four nephews.
Left to cherish her memory are her sister, Joyce Bryant Spivey of Franklin; her children, Patti Kitchen Heller of Emerald Isle, North Carolina;, Kathy Kitchen Thornton (Jim) of Toano; and Mark Reginald Kitchen (Susan) of Franklin; and the true joys of her life, her four wonderful, adoring grandchildren, Jacob Thornton (Gianina) of Richmond; Ally Thornton of Wilmington, North Carolina;, Kelly Kitchen LaRue (Travis) of Poquoson; and Katie Kitchen Strapach (Greg) of Suffolk; four great-grandchildren, Margo Thornton, Juniper and Savannah Strapach, Bauer Scott LaRue; and a great-grandson on the way. She is also survived by her beloved sister-in-law, Mary Hill Kitchen of Norfolk; and several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
Alyce Page was a longtime member of Franklin Baptist Church, where she served as a deacon and taught Sunday School and Bible School. She was an excellent cook, an avid bridge player, a longtime member of a local quilting group and a former member of Franklin Woman’s Club.
After rearing her children, she worked at Franklin Health Department, St. Regis and the Southampton County Courthouse.
Her children and grandchildren will remember with fondness her delicious meals, her advice, her love for books, her ability to sew almost anything her grandchildren requested, her devotion to their father and grandfather and her sisters and brothers, her impeccable wardrobe and sense of style. Having a good education was number one in Reginald and Alyce Page’s house, and Alyce Page was proud of the fact that her children and grandchildren were college graduates.
The memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 20, in the chapel at Franklin Baptist Church with the Rev. Sharon James and Jim Thornton officiating. Burial will be private.
The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday in Wright Funeral Home, and suggests that in lieu of flowers memorial donations be made to Hunterdale Volunteer Fire Department, 201 Delaware Road, Franklin, VA 23851.
The family would like to thank the caring staff at The Village at Woods Edge and Mrs. Kitchen’s special caregiver, Youlanda Haskins.
www.wrightfuneralhome.org.