- Date Of Birth: February 16, 1932
- Date Of Death: December 12, 2018
- State: Indiana
Alice “Baba” Mamala, age 86, of Hammond, passed away Wednesday, December 12, 2018, surrounded by her loving family. She is survived by her daughter, Anna Mamala of Hammond; grandson, Robert (fiancée, Linda Ramos) Payne of Hammond; granddaughter, Sarah (Adam Mills) Payne-Mills of Bloomington; sister, Anne (Dan) Yanich of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania; brother, Nick (Ava) Milosevich of Eugene, Oregon; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Horace Mamala; brothers-in-law, John Mamala and Rudolph Mamala; and sisters-in-law Mildred Kovachevich and Dorothy Boffo.
Alice was a long-time area resident and member of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in East Chicago, IN. She belonged to many local Democratic Clubs and was a Precinct Committee Person for many years. She was appointed to the North Township Board in 1998, after the death of her husband, Horace, and served one term. She worked for the North Township Trustee Office as a clerk and retired in 2016. When taking office, Alice said, “(Horace) said that if anything ever happened to me, you carry the torch and you better not drop it.” She never did. Caring and devoted, Alice was dedicated to her family and loved them more than anything.
Alice was born February 16, 1932, in Midland, Pennsylvania, to the late Nick and Mildred Milosevich. Moving to the area in the 1940s, she graduated from Lew Wallace High School in Gary. She met Horace at a Serbian picnic in 1952, and they fell in love. Known to many as Baba, Serbian for grandmother, Alice loved to spend time with her family and watch Westerns, old movies, and gameshows. A true Serb, she loved to make ćevapčići and sarma and swap recipes. She often reminisced about her daughter’s (Anna) college years at Indiana University–Bloomington and beamed with pride when talking about her dancing as an original RedStepper. Alice loved to play cards, and she and Horace taught their grandchildren, Robert and Sarah, to play Rummy. It was tradition to play together every holiday. She leaves us with many lasting, loving memories. She will always be dealt in to our Rummy games.
