Alice Anne (Harten) Kolega passed away on February 4, 2026. Born on March 9, 1928 in Philadelphia, PA, to Dr. James Harten and Margaret (Nash) Harten of New Haven, she spent most of her life in Connecticut, but also resided in Stillwater, OK, and Dover, NH.

She received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Albertus Magnus College and held jobs as a social worker and librarian, and also volunteered as a tutor and supported her local food pantry. She was a talented artist who painted, batiked, quilted, and played piano. She grew up seeing all of the best shows with her Aunt Alice and appreciated theatre and creativity of all kinds. She had a tremendous amount of energy and tended robust vegetable and flower gardens while raising a family. After meeting her husband John on a tennis date, they went on to raise seven children and welcomed exchange students from around the world into their home. One exchange student, Axel, truly became one of her own and is still “one of the family” four decades later. She was an active grandmother who never wavered when invited to build sand castles at Cape Cod, make messy art projects, bake and cook, swim in a pool all day, and wander the outdoors appreciating nature. A regular church-goer, she served for many years on the Round Table at St. Thomas Aquinas. She was an avid reader, a writer of short stories, and a fine Scrabble player. For many years, she started her days with a three mile walk with her dear friend Jean and always ended her day with a bowl of ice cream. When she retired, she traveled well and continued volunteer work with a special affection for the work and people at the Tri-County Greenhouse. She was a gentle, kind, patient and strong woman who believed that all should be treated equally.

She is survived by her children: Anne (Richard), Patricia (Dave), John (Wendy), Margaret, Kate, James, and Mary; grandchildren: Vitaly, Natalia, Rebecca, Kinsey, Byrne, Tristan, Mahayla, Owen, and Jojo; great grandchildren: Aiden, Nathan, Nicole, Natalie, and Gracen; and her cat and constant companion, Ebony. She was predeceased by her husband John, sister Peggy, brother James, son-in-law Jason, grandson Christopher, and great-grandson Christian. Services will be on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026 at 10:00am at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel in Storrs, CT. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Tri-County Greenhouse, 290 Middle Turnpike, Mansfield Center, CT, or to a local Food Pantry.