Dr Sr Lydia Fernandes, St Agnes Convent
Bangalore, Apr 5: Writer Alice Saldanha passed away in Bangalore on Saturday April 5 at the age of 88.
Alice Saldanha was a housewife and writer who had a flair for narrating stories based on life in Mangalore.
He novels include 'The Twisted Palm', 'The Rich Have Mansions but the Poor Have Babies', 'The Dead Cannot Hear', and 'The Sun has Set'.
Her book of poetry, 'The Desert Garden and Other Poems' which she composed from her school days at St Agnes School, Mangalore and published in UK won an award at the Poets International Conference in Spain.
Renowned writer Khushwant Singh had quoted a poem of hers in one of his articles.
During her senior years at her Museum Road residence in Bangalore, Alice Saldanha started personal counselling service from her residence (outhouse) with a dozen friends as volunteers which she called 'Helping Hand' and functioned as the founder director for over a decade. She handed over Helping Hand to Dr Ali Khwaja of Banjara Academy in Bangalore who has nurtured this tiny plant into a huge, fruitful tree of counselling services across Bangalore through the years.
Alice Saldanha was the wife of the late J B Saldanha, and mother of the late Loy, Lyra, Len, the late Laurel and Lester.
The last rites will be held at St Patrick Church, Residency Road, Bangalore on Thursday April 10 at 10 am.