Alice Caisse Dunnack

Alice E. Dunnack, 94 of Mansfield, died on June 24th at Douglas Manor in Windham. She was the loving and caring wife of George L. Dunnack for 30 years and 35 years for Francis X. Caisse, both of whom have predeceased her. She was born in Mansfield on November 25, 1919, the youngest and surviving child of Frances and Louis Schlehofer. She lived in Mansfield and Coventry for many years before moving to Columbia. She was a respected and highly skilled paralegal for 39 years, having been employed by the former law firm of Kucharski and Tarpinian for 34 years, and by Lane, Rosen and Starkey for 5 years from which she retired in 1991 at the age of 72. It was a career which she found rewarding and enjoyable. She was a jovial person with a pleasing sense of humor, enjoyed flower gardening; music and dinner theater; casinos; traveling cross-country in a motor home; boating in Lake George, N.Y.; and traveling north to view the foliage in the Fall. She was a wonderful cook; enjoyed baking cookies for her co-workers for which she is still remembered. Her greatest enjoyment was decorating her Mansfield home each Christmas, receiving several honorable mentions, and in 1969 was awarded first prize in the Lions Christmas Lighting Contest, featuring blue and green lights. She also enjoyed politics and served as a member of the Mansfield Democratic Town Committee; was successful in her efforts to persuade hundreds of democrats to vote at a special town meeting by canvassing them house-to-house by car (and ending up with a dead battery). So overwhelming was the response that the town hall was filled to capacity with standing room only. It was a night long to be remembered. She served temporarily as the Mansfield Judge of Probate; and was a Notary Public for 40 years. In 1969 she attained national recognition when she instituted a project by circulating petitions to rally support for then U.S. Representative Thomas Meskill's bill H.R.50 to increase the personal income tax exemption from $600.00 to $1,200.00. She received over 5,000 signatures in Connecticut plus those sent to Rep. Meskill's office, in addition to those from 13 other states by people of all trades. She received numerous requests for petition forms, with newspapers also printing short petition forms. She received a telephone call from Rep. Meskill expressing his appreciation for her efforts. Unfortunately the bill never came before the committee. In her career as a paralegal for nearly 40 years, it was the most rewarding and enjoyable time of her life. She is survived by her daughter, Marie Elena (Caisse) Gesner and her husband, Richard of Scotland, CT; her son, Robert A. Caisse and his wife, Patricia, of Sorrento, FL; a step-daughter; six grandchildren; three great grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; two step-great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and two husbands, she was predeceased by three sisters, Barbara Barry, Mary Cushman, Frances Racicot, and a brother, Frank Schlehofer. She will be fondly remembered by her family, friends, and all who knew her. Her family will receive family and friends on Friday, June 27th from 10am to 11am at the Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street (Route 195) Willimantic, CT followed by a funeral service at the funeral home with burial following in St. Joseph Cemetery, Club Road, Windham in the Caisse family plot beside her first husband. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to Marie Gesner, P.O. Box 401, Chaplin, CT 06235. May she rest in peace. Please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com for online memorial guest book.