Teresa Georgene Alig , 65, passed away Saturday, March 28, 2020 at her home surrounded by her loving family. She was born on May 22, 1954 in Houston, TX, daughter of George and Betty (Watkins) Clayton. She married Jeffrey Alan Alig on August 9, 1980 at the Rockville United Methodist Church in Rockville, MD.

In addition to her husband of 39 years, Mrs. Alig is survived by her mother, Betty Clayton of Silver Spring, MD; two children, Jennifer Tadeo and husband Efren, of Fredonia, WI, and Timothy Alig and wife, Megan, of Altamont, IL; her grandchildren, Tomas Tadeo and Juliana Tadeo, with a new grandchild due to arrive in the Fall of 2020; two sisters, Karen Lynch and husband, Sean, of Silver Spring, MD, and Vickie Morris and husband, Paul, of Sanibel Island, FL; sister-in-law, Sue D. Sloat and husband, Mike of Centralia, IL; brother-in-law, Michael E. Alig and wife, Alice of Piermont, NY Robert Todd Alig of Norvolk, VA; nieces, Katie Morris of Fort Myers, FL, Molly Alig and husband, Ben Bromberg of Quincy, MA, Rosie Alig , and her fiancé, Peter Lynch of Northampton, MA, Lily Alig of Tarrytown, NY, Cindi Sloat of Centralia, IL, Julia Alig Bromberg of Quincy, MA; and nephews, Thurman Morris and his fiancé, Christy Janszen of Jacksonville, FL, Reilly Morris of Fort Myers, FL, Sean Maxey and fiancé, Caroline Shanholtz of Scottsdale, AZ, and Ben Sloat of Centralia, IL.

Teresa was preceded in death by her father, George Clayton; father-in-law, Robert Alan Alig; mother-in-law, Marilyn Kaye Alig; and brother, Matthew Clayton.

Mrs. Alig graduated from Robert E. Peary High School in Rockville, MD in 1972, where she met the love of her life, Jeffrey Alan Alig. Teresa was a member of the Rockvillettes where she showcased her gift for baton and was also a talented, champion gymnast.

Following her graduation from high school, Teresa obtained her dental hygienist degree and became employed by Dr. Armand Leo Dumas' Office in Bethesda, MD, where she worked for many years prior to moving to Centralia, Illinois with her family in 1987.

Upon relocating to IL, Teresa was first employed at Altadonna's IGA/Borowiak's IGA in the bakery department as a Professional Cake Decorator. Upon leaving IGA, she became employed at Trinity Lutheran School in Centralia, IL as their Head Cook and retired in 2018. Teresa always said the children that attended Trinity Lutheran School brought her great joy daily.

Always excited to learn new abilities, Teresa continued to advance her cake decorating and cooking skills. She taught cake decorating courses and was a wonderful cook that enjoyed trying out new recipes. She loved cooking large holiday meals and even wrote a cookbook for her family. She participated annually in the Healthcare Foundation's chocolate contest and received numerous awards for her entries. She also loved making and decorating cakes and cookies for her many friends and neighbors.

Teresa was an athlete and continued to use the lessons learned from being a gymnast and dancer. Exercise was part of her daily routine, whether it was an aerobic video, riding her stationary bike or walking to work. She also had a creative side and took pleasure in making handmade gifts. She was an animal lover and shared in the care of her neighborhood cat "Lucky" while sitting on her beloved porch.

She met her husband Jeff at the age of sixteen and the "high school sweethearts" were married when they were 26. Teresa and Jeff had a true partnership and were together for almost 50 years. They were a wonderful example of unconditional love, trust and honor. Teresa was a brave and protective mother and genuinely cared about others. She was one hundred percent devoted to her family and her greatest joy was spending time with her husband, children and her grandchildren whom she loved more than anything. She lived a life of generosity and kindness. Friends and family will always remember her positive attitude and warm smile.

Irvin Macz Funeral Home in Centralia is honored to be assisting the family of Teresa Alig with arrangements. Per Mrs. Alig request, her remains will be cremated and there will be no service or visitation. Memorials may be made in Teresa's honor to Trinity Lutheran Church of Centralia Youth Group, and/or Centralia Free Methodist Church Youth Group and will be accepted for the family at the Irvin Macz Funeral Home at 234 S. Elm St. Centralia, IL 62801. Online condolences and memories of Teresa may be shared with the family by visiting www.maczfuneralhomes.com and/or on the funeral home's Facebook page.