ALICIA DREESSEN Alicia Elena Dreessen, 66, died Friday, March 30, 2007, at her residence. She had been a resident of Port Aransas since 2002.

Dreessen was born June 11, 1940, in Caracas, Venezuela, and had been a longtime citizen of the United States.

Dreessen was a homemaker and an artist. She was a member of Community Presbyterian Church, Port Aransas Garden Club, Keep Port Aransas Beautiful, Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association, Rockport Center for the Arts and was a member and served on the board of directors of the Art Center for the Islands.

Dreessen was taught by master teachers at several art institutes. Her professional employment included designing cards for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City and many years as an architectural designer for the Kerr McGee Corporation in Oklahoma City.

She was a graphic artist and was well-known for her logos which include the Port Aransas Community Theatre and her posters. Dreessen worked in many mediums, including acrylics, stained glass, glass etching, book illustrating and commissioned pen and ink portraits. She participated in many juried shows and exhibited in many galleries, receiving several awards. One of her beach scenes recently was featured on the cover of an area visitors guide.

Dreessen shared her talents with the underprivileged by teaching art in lowincome areas. She conducted art seminars in educational art programs and served as a judge many times in school art shows. She organized art exhibitions in communities in Oklahoma, Indiana and New Mexico. Dreessen worked to make art a part of each community in which she lived.

In 2006, Dreessen donated her painting of the Little Chapel on the Hill to the Port Aransas Preservation and Historical Association for a raffle. The money raised was given to the PAPHA fund drive for a museum.

Her final gift to the community was to be the painting of the Farley boat planters purchased by the City of Port Aransas. Due to declining health, she was unable to do the work or supervise. The painting was done in her honor, and her last outing was spent seeing how the painted boats looked upon completion.

While residing in Oklahoma, Dreessen for many years chaired the State of Oklahoma Art Collection board. She served on the board of directors of the Arts and Humanities Council of Oklahoma; the board of directors of the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association and served three terms as president of the Lawton-Fort Sill Art Guild.

Survivors include her husband, Jack Dreessen of Port Aransas; three sons, Jeffery (Kendal) Dix of Round Rock, Richard (Susan) Dix of Oklahoma City, Okla. and Omar Dix of Hobbs, N.M.; two daughters, Marlene (Charles) McCartha of Fayetteville, Ga. and Monique Dix and friend Sue Seago who was like a daughter to Dreessen of Houston; four grandchildren, Schuyler and Cooper Dix of Round Rock and Mac and Keagen McCartha of Fayetteville; six brothers of Caracas; two sisters, Letty (George) Garek of Bedford and Nora Gano of New York, N.Y.; and a cousin, Adolfo Nass of Caracas.

A memorial service was held Wednesday, April 4, at the Community Presbyterian Church in Port Aransas. Interment was private.