Cover photo for Alice Ruth Wallace Cater's Obituary
Alice Ruth Wallace Cater Profile Photo
1935 Alice 2020

Alice Ruth Wallace Cater

June 16, 1935 — October 6, 2020

Alice Ruth Wallace Cater passed from her life on October 6, 2020 in Beaumont, Texas.
Ms. Cater was born on June 16, 1935, to Clarence and Alice Johnson Wallace in Kilgore, Texas. Her family resided in Gladewater, Texas, where she spent her childhood. She studied dance, piano, and later played with a symphony orchestra. Honors came early with ribbons at horse shows and as junior high school valedictorian. In 1951, her family moved to Liberty, Texas, and in 1952, they moved to Beaumont, Texas, where she graduated from Beaumont High School.
Alice received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Southern Methodist University with majors in banking, finance, and general business. As a member of the Chancery (pre-law) Club, she helped write its national constitution and served as Supreme Clerk of the Court. She was the first woman to be awarded the gold Chancery Key for special recognition in pre-law merit, service, and scholarship. Alice was a member of Phi Chi Theta, an honorary business fraternity, and Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She met society as a Princess in the Neches River Festival and served on a college board for college fashion counseling.
Alice enjoyed traveling and spent a summer studying in Europe. In 1957, she was one of three women admitted to the University of Texas Law School. Since women were not accepted as lawyers at that time, she entered the graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin and earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance. She had an Associate of Applied Science degree in Real Estate from Houston Community College and was a graduate of the Studies of Advanced Real Estate Subjects at Texas A & M University.
She began her career as an instructor in the department of business at McNeese State College in Lake Charles, Louisiana. While in Lake Charles, she met and married Capt. Otis E. Cater, Jr., who was stationed at Chennault Air Force Base. Their first move was to K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the upper peninsula of Michigan. While there, she taught at Northern Michigan University. Their next station was Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, where she taught for the University of Guam. She traveled to Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Then they moved to Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, where Otis retired from the military. While in Fort Worth, she obtained her real estate brokers license and was a partner in Cater Real Estate Company.
In 1973, they moved to Beaumont, Texas, and Alice started her teaching career at Lamar University and Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT), where she worked as Director of the Real Estate program for thirty years. She was a recipient of the Lamar University Regent’s Merit Award and the President’s Award. While at LIT, she was elected president of the Faculty Senate, was chosen to receive LIT Teaching Excellence Awards, and was on numerous university, college, LIT, and departmental committees. She served on the LIT Foundation Board and was honored with the establishment of the Alice Cater Endowment Scholarship in Real Estate.
Alice is listed in Who’s Who of Outstanding Young Women of America, Who’s Who in Finance and Industry, Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, Who’s Who in American Women, and Personalities of America in the Real Estate Profession.
She helped organize the Texas Real Estate Teachers Association and was its first woman president. She received the Lifetime Achievement award and the Don Roose Teaching Excellence award and held the Certified Real Estate Instructors designation. She contributed to numerous real estate publications and textbooks and spoke at local, state, and national meetings and conferences.
Alice was a member of First United Methodist Church in Beaumont, where she served on the Administrative Board, taught Sunday School, and sang in the choir.
During her lifetime, she touched the lives of many people in education and real estate. Alice’s outstanding leadership and contributions to the quality of education inspired and enriched the lives of her students. She stayed in contact with many of her students and was proud of their accomplishments.
She was a devoted mother and grandmother. Her greatest joys were her son and granddaughter. She loved life and her family and friends. She enjoyed traveling the world and spending time at her home on Lake Conroe. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Alice was preceded in death by her parents Alice and Clarence Wallace and her husband Otis E. Cater, Jr. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her beloved son Wallace (Wally) Cater and his wife Tahara, and granddaughter Catherine-Ann Stirling (Cassie) Cater-Wolfe and her husband Ricky of Houston.
Visitation will be held at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.
Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home on N. 11th Street in Beaumont, Texas. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Serving as honorary pallbearers will be, Stan Haley, Zack Crow, Jason Crow, Lynn Clark, Ira Wilsker, Joe Juarez, Jim Wiedemer, and Mike Harris.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Alice Ruth Wallace Cater, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Starts at 1:00 pm (Central time)

Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home

1155 North 11th Street, Beaumont, TX 77702

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Funeral Service

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Starts at 2:00 pm (Central time)

Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home

1155 North 11th Street, Beaumont, TX 77702

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Burial

Forest Lawn Cemetery

, Beaumont, TX

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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