Alice Coulombe OBITUARY
Alice Helen Steere Coulombe passed away at her home in Pasadena, California at the age of 92. Known for her generosity and passion for the arts, Alice's life was a shining example of the power of giving, and her contributions to the community were invaluable.
Alice was born in 1932 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She earned her B.A. in Humanities and M.A. in Education from Stanford University. While she was at Stanford, Alice met Joe Coulombe, whom she married in 1952. Alice ardently supported her husband, the founder of Trader Joe's, as his vision for a new kind of grocery store evolved into the beloved brand. For nearly 70 years, Alice and Joe shared a partnership that celebrated love of community, learning, and the arts.
Alice was famous for hosting musical performances and potluck dinners at her home. Alice and Joe loved gathering people around their dining table for lively conversation and delicious food and wine. Their home, filled with books and Joe's paintings of friends and family, was notable for its blue and white decor, Alice's favorite color combination.
Alice was a founding member and Chair of the Pasadena Arts Commission, a member of the City of Pasadena Centennial Committee, and a volunteer at the Huntington Library, where she was a specialist docent in the Japanese Garden. She co-founded Metropolitan Associates, which raised funds to support the arts in schools.
Southern California is the beneficiary of Alice's particular passion for opera. For many years, she co-chaired the Western Division of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. During the Olympic Arts Festival in 1984, she was a key organizer for the visit of the Royal Opera. The success of this visit garnered support for Alice's vision of a LA-based Opera Company. Many have commented that, without her drive, LA Opera would not have come into being. As the LA Opera was being established, Alice quickly recognized the need for a support group and founded the LA Opera League with her friends Carol Henry and Lorraine Saunders. To this day, the Opera League retains Alice's welcoming spirit, hosting cast dinners, musicales, and supporting artists. Alice chaired several committees as a member of the board of LA Opera, and became a Life Trustee in 2003.
Alice's expertise in arts leadership was recognized nationally, through her appointment to the advisory panel of the National Endowment for the Arts and her involvement with Opera Guild International.
Alice believed the arts were for everybody. She was also a Director of the Colburn School, which served as the perfect place for her to continue her passion for mentoring young musicians and was a tremendous source of joy in her final years. Alice created a program at Villa Gardens Retirement Community which provided performance opportunities for emerging musicians, including students and faculty from the Colburn School.
Alice was preceded in death by her husband, Joe, who passed away in 2020. They are survived by three children, Joe, Charlotte, and Madeleine, their spouses Wendy, Stuart and Nigel, and grandchildren: Odette, Daniel, Valerie, Gabriel, Genevieve and Julia.
