Darlene Alford

Beatrice “Darlene” Alford March 16, 1937 – January 19, 2024

Darlene passed away and entered Heaven and into her blessed Savior’s arms in the late hours of January 19, 2024.

Darlene was born on March 16, 1937 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Lola Ruth and Ernest Noah Killman. She was born and raised in the same house until she married Kenneth Murel Alford on May 28, 1955. She loved her husband dearly and faithfully for 68 years.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1970 and immediately began her career as a French and English teacher at Lamar High School, Arlington, Texas. She loved teaching and talked about her students until her last days. She started the French Club at Lamar and enjoyed many yearly trips with her students to France.

Her interests over the years, other than her family and students, were many. In her early teen years, she loved indoor roller skating. She was a long legged beauty in her short skirt and white lace up skates.

She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed making special clothes for herself and family. One of the favorites was a dress for her toddler daughter, Teresa, and a matching plaid shirt for Daddy, Kenneth.

Darlene’s love for Jesus was evident in her life by her many hand-written prayers and Bible studies. She also loved singing, especially in her church choir where she could pour her heart out in love and songs of praise to Almighty God. She also played the piano beautifully.

Darlene and Kenneth learned to square dance in their thirties. They were members of a local square dancing club, the Grand Squares. They met regularly and even traveled some to other cities. On one of the club’s trips to Colorado, there was a rock slide on the road that stopped traffic. The dance club got out of their cars and square danced right on the highway!

After retirement Darlene and Kenneth began a United States and Canada traveling adventure in their motor home. And also occasionally visited family living in other states, and especially enjoyed the California Coast where they attended their eldest grandson, Garret’s graduation from Marine Corps boot camp in 1997.

She cherished her family, always wanting to “spend more time together.” Her family left to cherish her memory are her children, Teresa Shaw, Kenneth Alford Jr., Son-in-Law Mark and daughter-in-law Colleen. Her grandchildren, Garret, Jamilyn, Joshua, Christopher, Sean, Anna and Mandy. Her great-grandchildren, Madison, Nicolas, Olivia, Mia, Palmer, Graham, Lily, Loralei, Payton, Noah, Pelah, Colin and Rylan. And her “baby sister” Marilyn Barnes and husband Rick. Her grandchildren remember her big smiles, laughing, singing, multiple hugs and kisses, just in case she hadn’t already “smooch” them. Grandson, Joshua loved to tease her by going around the room giving out kisses and when getting to her would take of running to make her chase him down for a kiss. There was lots of pool time fun at their house. One of her grandchildren said…“And she could do one of the most graceful back-dives a grandmother ever had!”

She lived a full and loving life and will be remembered for her dedicated teaching career, her unwavering love for her family, and for her devotion to Jesus Christ. She will always be known as a joyful spirit and a perfect example to all around her.

Special heartfelt thanks to Mom and Dad’s church family at Resurrection Global Methodist Church for coming to the hospital in the evenings to stay with Momma while we left to get some rest. And also to the many hospital staff, nurses and doctors at Arlington Memorial Hospital for their loving care of her, tirelessly working to make her better, and ultimately, to respectfully and gently make her as comfortable as possible.

Services will take place at the DFW National Cemetery on January 30, 2024 at 11:15. The family is planning a celebration of Darlene (Momma, Mamaw, Grandmother) in the future. Hopefully in March, her birth month.