Mary Alice Hoyle

MaryAlice Hoyle (formerly MaryAlice Comstock) passed away on September 16, 2020. She is survived by her husband of 14 years, Burton Hoyle, her daughter Michelle Cox, two sons, Michael and Mark Phlegar, 3 granddaughters, Jenny, Jessica and Treasure and 4 great grandsons.

MaryAlice was born August 21, 1929 and raised in Chicago with one brother. MaryAlice not only had a wonderful smile, but she was blessed with musical ability and talent. She was a singer in the Episcopal Church choir in the Chicago area and because of her good voice the choir leader saw to it that she was well trained.

One of her first jobs in Chicago was ushering in some of the large downtown theaters. She became an expert on the actors and singers in those early years. Her husband Burt recalls that: “her favorite movies were those by TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and even after all these years she could tell me the names of the actors.”

MaryAlice moved to California in the 1960’s where she sang and danced in the Music Circus in Sacramento. Another one of her earlier careers was selling real estate in Santa Rosa, CA. Later, after moving to Humboldt she was a volunteer financial advisor at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center.

Moving to Humboldt she met and married Rodger Comstock in February 1974. This was about the same time that she met her current husband, Burton Hoyle. Burton, along with his first wife, True Dolson Hoyle, met Rodger and MaryAlice at the downtown Arcata Rotary club in the 1970s and accompanied them for years in this area. Tragically both True and Rodger died of Parkinson’s disease within three years of each other.

MaryAlice married Burton J. Hoyle on June 9th, 2006 at the Arcata Presbyterian Church. Burton, a retired research scientist from the University of California Davis, was 89 and MaryAlice was 79.

In Arcata MaryAlice was in every singing group she had time for, including the Humboldt State University choir, the Merry Melody Makers of the Senior Center, Church choirs and others. She always sang God Bless America at the Veterans Annual meeting.

MaryAlice loved deep sea fishing in small boats and clamming on the mud flats in Humboldt bay followed by parties at the King Salmon restaurant.

As an active Rotarian she was in many projects and a regular blood donor. Next to Fishing she loved dancing, gardening, her cats and building one of the best rock gardens in the area. She had truckloads of rock delivered and covered the entire yard at her residence in Hillside with pathways, waterfalls, and a pond with fish. She installed the rock herself and wore her fingers to the bone doing so! Unfortunately, the fence around the yard keeps the garden from being seen from the street.

She was a charter member of the Humboldt Botanical Gardens and a member of the American Rhododendron society and several other garden clubs. She had many other plants around the house.

Burton recalls: “We had 14 good years together at the end our lives. We would hike the beaches and look at real estate. Towards the end she developed severe memory loss and could not remember my name. But she developed small ways to let me know that she still loved me. She had a special smile for me and a kiss, right to the end when I was 101 years old.”

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Alice Hoyle, please visit our floral store.