LACONIA ---- Alvina Lavery Heine, 88, of Ledges Drive, passed away on Sunday, February 11, 2024.
Alvina May was born on October 15, 1935, in Springfield, MA, the daughter of Grant and Beatrice (Hoskins) Lavery.
She grew up in Summit, NJ enjoying summers at the family cottage in Niantic, CT. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University which included a year studying abroad in the Philippines. She used her “Around the World” ticket to stop and explore many countries on her way home.
She married her college sweetheart, Marten Heine, in 1958. She then completed her Graduate Certificate in Physical Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania. Alvina and Marty were living in NJ with their 4 young children (Carlton, Norman, Bruce and Gwendolyn) when they decided to move the family and the brush manufacturing company to the Lakes Region. They enjoyed 15 years in Gilford, 31 years in Meredith, and the past 3 years at the Taylor Community in Laconia. During her kids’ school years, Alvina brought many foreign exchange students to Gilford through her work as a placement coordinator for AFS and EIL. She loved sharing American holiday traditions and for many students, their first experience of snow.
Alvina was a creative soul who enjoyed knitting, painting and quilting, mostly to gift her projects to others. She loved vibrant colors and interesting angles. She enjoyed visiting craft shows and had collections from many artisans. Her NH mugs have been gifted around the world - you may even have one!
Alvina enjoyed being outdoors and all her homes had big windows to bring the outside in, and decks because eating outside should happen as often as possible. She had a green thumb, filled her homes with plants, and tended many gardens. She had fun with her hiking group and loved mountaintop views, cross-country skiing in the woods, and was an adventurous traveler that visited so many corners of the world.
She will be missed by all who got to experience her big heart. She was generous with her time, welcomed so many visitors and served her neighbors and community. And to her family, she leaves a beautiful legacy in her 66 years of marriage to Marty and as a devoted mom, committed to the success and happiness of her children.
Alvina is survived by her husband Marten, four children, six grandchildren, Grace, Grant, Siena, Lea, Ben and Laura, brother Norman Lavery and sister Granthia Preston.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Alvina on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 11:00am, at the Gilford Community Church, 19 Potter Hill Road, Gilford, NH 03249.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.