Irene E. Lavallee

Irene E. Lavallee, 95, (2-3-1927) died peacefully at her Cumberland home of 66 years Saturday, Oct. 29, where she raised seven children with her late husband, Roger E. Lavallee.

Born in Waltham, Massachusetts, a daughter of Theodozia and Stefan Kolodzieski, she was married to Roger for 51 years. They were married at St. Bernard's Church in West Newton, Massachusetts.

Irene was a 1944 graduate of Waltham High School where she was inducted into the National Honor Society. After high school, she worked as executive secretary for the president and chief executive officer of Waltham National Bank and then worked as a secretary at Raytheon Co.'s research division in Waltham. She also completed courses at Bryant and Stratton Business Institute in Boston. The Rhode Island branch became Bryant University.

For about 20 years, she was a much loved teacher aide in the Cumberland School Department, having worked in the Ashton and Cumberland Hill elementary schools, the McCourt (Highland Avenue) Middle School and the Transitional School for freshmen at Cumberland High School. Teachers, students and staff all responded to Irene's smile, care and love.

However, she was most proud of her career as a mother, wife and homemaker. Irene lovingly instilled in her children the values of love, faith, hope and compassion, and who warmed her little ones' feet after they came in from skating and sledding, even as she had supper cooking on the stove or oven. In the summer, she kept her kids cool and saved money while breaking Popsicles in two.

She was a longtime member of St. John Vianney Church and its choir and most recently was a communicant of St. Joseph's Church. Her Catholic faith was the center of her life, and for many decades Roger and she attended daily mass together. She prayed constantly and when Irene, Mom or Nana said she was praying for you or your family, you knew you were in good hands.

After raising her family, she spent many wonderful days at the University of Rhode Island with her beloved Roger, a 1948 Rhody grad, cheering on the Rams on the gridiron and hardwood. She adopted the University as if it were own alma mater. The only teams to rival the Rams for her affection were the ones on which her grandchildren played and the New England Patriots.

Irene and Roger enjoyed several Boston Marathons, cheering on the athletes with Irene's late brother, Stephen, sister Martha, and their dear friend Bernie Coyle, lovingly called Uncle Bernie, by Irene and Roger's children. They also enjoyed weekend getaways, dinners and ball games with Roger's late brother, Gilbert, and his wife Beverly, and their dear friends John and Dot Lowell and Jack and Barbara Sweeney.

She loved family gatherings with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, laughing and enjoying the noise and commotion of a big family.

Irene and her husband made generous contributions to the Catholic Charity Fund, other Catholic charitable organizations across the country, as well as numerous fund-raising activities involving their children and grandchildren. She and Roger made significant donations to the renovation of URI's historic Green Hall and the construction of the Thomas M. Ryan Center, as well as regular contributions to the University's Annual Fund.

She is survived by her children, Denise Lavallee and son-in-law Lawrence Lifshitz; David and Pamela (Page) Lavallee; Sharon (Lavallee) and Richard Magliozzi; Peter and Donna (Edwardo) Lavallee; Jeannine (Lavallee) Marsh; Stephen and Darie (Enriquez) Lavallee; and Paul and Ellen (Sogofsky) Lavallee; 18 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

She was the sister of the late Mary Muskalski, Stephen Kolodzieski and Martha Kolodzieski.

The family wishes to extend its deep gratitude and love to Irene's health aides, Anabel, Ana Maria, Alba, Nery, Angie and Maria who provided dedicated, compassionate and cheerful support to Irene throughout the last years of her life.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to Irene's Life Celebration to be held with Visiting Hours on Thursday, November 3, 2022 from 9 to 10:30 AM in the J. J. Duffy Funeral Home, 757 Mendon Road, Rt. 122, Cumberland. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 AM in the Historic St. Joseph Church, Mendon Road, Cumberland. Burial will follow in the Resurrection Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Hope Health, 1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904.

ONLINE MEMORIAL: jjduffyfuneralhome.com