Louise Mae (Alley) Downing, 74, of Middletown, R.I., died peacefully at home surrounded by her family.

She was the wife of Gerard M. Downing who she married on August 31, 1957.

Born on November 7, 1938 in Everett, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Walter Bishop Alley and Leola (Adams) Alley.

She was a graduate of East Providence High School and worked at the Providence Journal and the Newport Daily News. She loved horseback riding and vacationing in Maine, North Carolina and Florida with her family.

Besides her husband Gerard, she is survived by her children, Gerard M. Downing, III and his wife Kim, Steven B. Downing and his wife Stacey, Jill M. Hubbard and her husband Leonard, Peter W. Downing and his wife Sarah, and her former son-in-law Francis Holbrook.

Louise was the grandmother of Joshua and Zachary Downing, Emma and Eliza Downing, Jacqueline Holbrook Wilkinson and Frankie Holbrook II, Hope and Steven Downing.

She also leaves her sisters Joanne McChrystal of Stuart, Fla. and Kathleen Roscoe of Chelmsford, Mass.

Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, R.I.

Her funeral will be held on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013, at 10 a.m., in Trinity Church, Queen Anne Square, Newport, R.I.

Burial will follow in Newport Memorial Park, Howland Avenue, Middletown, R.I.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: woundedwarriorproject.org.

The family would like to thank the VNA, Clinical IV, Care Point Partners and Jorge Albina, MD and his wonderful team at Rhode Island Hospital.

For additional information, visit www.memorialfuneralhome.com.