STOCKTON LOST one of its longtime business icons with the death of Alyce Tekerlek, who died of pneumonia on August 6 at the age of 95.

Tekerlek owned and operated the downtown clothing store La Maison for 56 years. She continued working long after others had retired and chose to stay downtown when others were long gone. She died peacefully in hospice, her son, Alan Tekerlek, said.

“I thought she would outlive me,” he said.

That was a reasonable expectation. Mrs. Tekerlek’s dogged determination to continue working at her elegant store put her on the list of the longest-tenured employees in Stockton. The thought of retirement horrified her.

“What can I do at home?” she asked me in 2013, when she was 84 years old and celebrating her 55th anniversary in business. “I have nothing to do at home.”

By persevering, Tekelek became – as I wrote in 2013 – a time capsule of the days when downtown was elegant and thriving.

After retiring in 2014, she continued doing alterations for clients from home for several years, her son said, and when she finally hung up her needle and thread, she enjoyed traveling with her family.

A memorial service for Alyce Tekerlek will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, August 20, at the DeYoung Memorial Chapel, 601 N. California St., Stockton, followed by a graveside burial service at the Stockton Rural Cemetery at approximately 11 a.m.

Michael Fitzgerald writes a column for Stocktonia. Find him on Twitter and Instagram at Stocktonopolis. Email: [email protected].

This story originally appeared in Stocktonia.