Virginia Garland

I hardly have words to describe how devastated I still am by the loss of Alison in 2011 because she was my best friend from the time we were two years old in Squantum. We went to kindergarten through high school together and remained close friend all these years. Her other friends from Squantum include Alyce Johnson and Niki Doucette and Linda Youngworth, and many more, later, including Kathy Macchiette (Marcus) from North.

 After studying at Dean Jr College and then graduating from UNH, Alison became an occupational therapist and used her considerable artistic skills in therapeutic work with her patients in Long Island hospital, off Squantum, and later at the Brockton VA hospital.  She married Kevin Riley and had a son, Jeremy Hartwell Riley, who also graduated from NQHS.

Alison was a phenomenal photographer, painter and sculptor.  She was a member of the South Shore Camera club and won numerous awards for her photography, culminating with an exhibit at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy center just a year or so before she passed away of ALS.

Alison, Kathy, and I went together to the 40th reunion, we had such a blast and drank so much that Kathy and I stayed over Alison's  house and then laughed about all our classmates' antics and memories far beyond the reunion night. I am so sorry that Alison did not live for our 50th, she would have loved it!

Sandra Leach (Volpe)

I remember Alison, she was a nice, sweet girl.  I am sorry for your loss.  It is hard to lose family, but it is also hard to lose good, long time friends.

Sandy Volpe

Donald McNally

I happened to meet Alison, probably not much more than three years ago, at a local market in No. Quincy.  We had a pleasant chat about this and that, but all the while I was wondering "what is this poor girl going through?" She offered nothing, nor did I ask.  We said our good-byes and I gave her my phone number, if she should need anything.  I thought she was having some very negative social isssues.  Leaving that store, I had a sick feeling wondering how such a beautiful and sweet girl as Alison could fall upon such hard times.  I have thought about her quite often since that meeting.  And to find out now that she was suffering from such a terrible disease makes me feel no better, but at least now I understand. 
 

Virginia Garland

For those of you who might have run into Alison since the last reunion, please remember the joy that she had for life and how much she valued her NQHS classmates.  Alison was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, around 2009, but she probably was one of the few people with ALS that suffered from a "top down" effect of cognitive and speech impairments for several years before her passing in 2011.  

I like to think of the last summer when Alison was with us, in 2011, when she visited me on the 4th of July on the lake in NH where I live. She wore funny patriotic sunglasses in the boat parade, swam, and laughed with friends (and even drank a Margarita!).  This past summer, 2013, along with another of Alison's friends, Liz Brisson, I spread her ashes on a beautiful island in the lake, which will be forever known as "Alli Island."