Alice V. Skinner, a resident of Melrose for the past twelve years, died peacefully on December 20, 2012 at Sunrise Senior Living, Lynnfield, Mass., after a long illness. She was 84 years old. Born Alice Ann Van Brunt on June 21, 1928, she was raised in Flushing, N.Y., and earned a bachelor's degree in home economics from Queens College in 1950. In February 1953 she married John Thomas Skinner, a major in the U.S. Army, at Fort Totten, N.Y. After Major Skinner completed his service in Korea, he and Mrs. Skinner lived at army bases in Japan and Germany before settling near Fort Lee, in Petersburg, Va., where they raised their family. Major Skinner died in June 1968. After earning a master's degree in nutrition from Virginia State University, Mrs. Skinner enjoyed a long career with the Department of Defense, where she worked as chief dietician for the Troop Support Division of the Richmond-based Defense Logistics Agency. Mrs. Skinner moved to Richmond from Petersburg in April 1987. After retiring from the DLA in 1991, she started her own personal-nutrition consulting business and taught cooking classes in her home. She was also a docent at Sherwood Forest Plantation, the home of U.S. President John Tyler, in Charles City, Va. Mrs. Skinner moved to Massachusetts in 2001 to be nearer to her daughters, Elizabeth Skinner Carduff, of Melrose, and Mary Carol Skinner, of Florence. Both daughters survive her, as do a son, John T. Skinner Jr., of DeWitt, Va., and three grandchildren, John T. Skinner III, of Morehead City, N.C., Emily Van Brunt Carduff, of South Hadley, Mass., and Eliot Skinner Carduff, of Durham, N.H. She was a faithful parishioner at St. Mary of the Annunciation Church, Melrose. She loved cooking, gardening, her beautiful home, her many dogs and cats, and trips to Maine and the beaches of Boston's north shore. A funeral Mass will be held on December 27th at10AM in the Holy Name of Jesus Church, Two Broadway, Valhalla, N.Y., with interment at Kensico Cemetery, Mount Pleasant, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to St. Anthony's Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston, MA 02110, or to the ASPCA, P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929. To view an online tribute and sign her memory book please visit gatelyfh.com.