Alyce Beverly (Wille) Flaherty

Alyce Beverly (Wille) Flaherty, 92, went home to her heavenly Father on August 12th, 2022. Alyce was born to Joseph and Cecil (Culligan) Wille in Fairfield, IA. She was a loving and helpful sister to her six siblings, Bob, Mary Jo, Cecil (Bink), Kathy, Marg, and Mike. The family settled in Duluth, where she enjoyed a happy and lively childhood, attending St. Anthony grade school and Cathedral High School, where she met and then married the love of her life, Dillon Flaherty. The couple was just two weeks shy of their 75th wedding anniversary at the time of Alyce’s death. The couple was blessed with nine children.

Alyce felt her greatest accomplishment in life was raising their large family. With grace and unending patience, she recognized and nurtured each child’s unique challenges and talents. You could count on her to support their every endeavor, listen to their concerns, and to make every family gathering special.

Alyce had a generous, selfless and beautiful spirit, embracing everyone who entered her sphere, making each person feel cherished. This and her flair for entertaining were on full display at Lake Nancy, the wonderful ‘family compound’ that she and Dillon worked to create and shared so freely with their family and many friends. She savored both the commotion and the serenity there.

Always ready for new experiences, Alyce traveled extensively with Dillon and good friends throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Americas. She also enjoyed camping, canoeing, and road trips with her family and friends.

Alyce lived a long and meaningful life. She will be remembered for her warmth, kindness to all, gracious ways, resilience, her fashion sense, unstoppable energy and her strong sense of purpose.

Alyce was preceded in death by her beloved daughter Brigid (at age 5), and sons Bryan and Brendan; and five of her siblings.

She is survived by her husband Dillon; children Terry (Patti), Tim (Susan), Beth (Tony) Rush, Dillon Jr. (Judy Goar), Sean (Mary Nyquist), and Kieran (Mark Higgins); daughters-in-law Betty Flaherty and Carrie Flaherty; 24 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren; her sister, Mary Jo Jensen; sister-in-law and close friend Kay Wille; and many nieces and nephews.