Marlene Ruth Paine Alton

Heaven gained one of Earth’s sweetest angels, Marlene Ruth Paine Alton, on Sunday, August 24, 2025. She passed peacefully surrounded by family.

The family will receive friends from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday, August 28, 2025 at Wilkerson Funeral Home, 2100 E. 5th Street, Greenville, NC with a funeral service to immediately follow at 4:00 p.m. Friends are also welcome to join the family for the graveside service to be held on Saturday, September 6th at 2:00pm at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 3901 Forest Lawn Drive, Greensboro, NC.

Marlene was born June 11, 1933, in Maryville, TN to parents, Perry and Maude Paine. She graduated from Maryville High School, and after earning her associates degree, spread her wings by moving to Washington DC along with her sister Barbara, where Marlene worked with the FBI. While in DC, Marlene and the love of her life, Harold Eugene Alton, met at a military ball. Their romance blossomed into a 66-year marriage that blessed them with 5 children - Jim, Steve, Dave, Ruth Ann and Bill. Her pride for all of them is insurmountable.

Marlene was a prolific artist, specializing in oil painting. She shared this talent and her eye to see animals or faces in every cloud with her daughter. They spent days and hours collaborating to make beautiful paintings together. Marlene taught an oil-painting class at the local community college, and the two would often share lunch after class.

One of their memorable adventures was an artists’ retreat to Georgia where they explored the skill of mural painting. Ruth Ann translated this into an Italian seaside view on a dining room wall, and Marlene had a canvas-mounted mural of a similar scene that adorned her home until her passing.

Marlene even applied her artistic talents to her son Jim’s passion for sailing, gracing one of his boats with the name hand-painted on the stern. While sailing was not her passion, Jim did let her participate by christening one of his boats with a bottle of wine, and she enjoyed her video calls with Jim and Joann to follow their global sailing adventures.

Marlene also created a lasting legacy with Ruth Ann, and daughter-in-law, Sue Alton, when they founded the bridal shop, AVA Formals in Washington NC. The ladies worked side-by-side for many years before selling the business that continues to operate today. After selling the business, Marlene and Gene moved to sunny Florida where they made great friends, Marlene was perpetually warm, and she got the swimming pool that she had wanted. She spent many hours exercising in the pool while listening to her favorite Selena CD and loved the grandkids’ visits to join in her enjoyment of the pool as well. When not busy at the dress shop or in the pool, Marlene loved going to the movies and working puzzles. She would welcome anyone to the puzzle table for their help and conversation. She had many movie dates to the theater with Dave, and during her time living at Cypress Glen, Steve and Bill were sure to have a weekly date with Mom to work a puzzle or find a good movie to watch together.

Our mom loved us with her whole heart, and she taught us how to love others with a whole heart.

Some people would say she was too generous, but if she had something she knew you needed, she would give it to you or find a way to get it. She never hesitated to send money when she felt like we needed a little money in our pockets.

Her generosity with her time matched or trumped her willingness to share her last penny. Without hesitation she would roll up her sleeves and help any of her kids in need. We all got those phone calls when she just wanted to see how we’re doing…sometimes we answered and sometimes she left a message “Hey baby, just calling to see how you’re doing. I love you, Mom” …. boy will we miss seeing her name come across our phones.

She was always there when we needed her most! A hem sewn, a place to live with 2 little babies, and most importantly, empathy. No problem was too big for her to wrap her arms and heart around. She had a way of making things better and would usually say her favorite words of encouragement and support “Just give it some time.”

We don’t know how well those words will work this time; that’s more time without her smile -- a smile that made you feel loved before she said anything.

She was a best friend, a mentor and safe place. She passed along her 3 keys to use as a guide to life:

• 2 wrongs don’t make a right,

• Never stoop to the level of a person mistreating you, and

• Be someone you can be proud of.

Marlene was predeceased by her beloved husband of 66 years, Harold Eugene Alton and survived by their 5 children: Jim Alton, and his wife Joann; Steve Alton, and girlfriend Vickie Johnson; Dave Alton, and girlfriend Lisa Cole; Ruth Ann Alton Smith, and her husband Stephen; and Bill Alton, and his fiancée Tammy Foreman. Gene and Marlene also have 7 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren: Alicia Alton Walter, her husband Adam, and daughter, Blair; Robert Alton II, his wife Megan, and children, Hudson and Conleigh; Alexis Vick Warren, her husband Bobby, and son, Davis; Ryan Vick, his wife Bree, and children, Isabel, Dylan, Camden, Emmett and Marli Grace; Tyler Smith, and his fiancée Sarah McGee; Dusty Cox; and Cory Cox. Marlene was predeceased by her parents; and siblings, Barbara Stone, Bud Paine, Kathryn O’Connell, and George Paine; and daughter-in-law, Sue Alton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mayo Clinic (https://give.mayoclinic.org) whose skill and care provided Marlene with a fruitful and normal life after experiencing a stroke nearly 10 years ago, the COPD Foundation (https://www.copdfoundation.org/), or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org).

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