Nick regrets to inform you that his address has changed. Nicholas Peter LaVallee (not the comedian) died on September 21, 2026, after a short but beautiful life.
Born in Newburgh, NY on October 26, 1979 to Roderick and Martha (Murray) LaVallee, Nick was the third of four siblings.
Nick grew up in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York. In high school, he was voted “most sociable”, performed in musical theater and show choir, was an avid archer, and also earned a black belt in Soo-Bahk-Do with his father. He spent his weekends camping with friends on top of Schunemunk Mountain. He spent many summers working with his father and brother Steve at the Boy Scout Camp Ranachqua, running the climbing wall, managing the archery range, and wreaking havoc with the other staff.
In the fall of 1998, he arrived at Saint Michael’s College near Burlington, Vermont. He found a community there that shaped him deeply, forming lifelong bonds with some of his closest friends. Leading the Political Science club, debating politics, and protesting injustice were core to his values. Those values also left plenty of room for fun. He spun Jimmy Buffett records on his radio show “Margaritaville North,” hosted wild conversations and philosophical explorations, and even performed a few musical epics.
After college, Nick moved to Philadelphia, where he formed a close group of friends working for the Scouts. Eventually, he migrated to the Boston area to join his college friends who had also moved there. An endless stream of late nights, porch cigarettes, generous amounts of alcohol, plenty of laughs, and conversations ranging from the intellectual to the absurd would persist for years to come.
In 2014, he met Meghan, his future wife and adventure partner. They married on July 1, 2017, and settled into Jamaica Plain, engaged within a broad community of artists, dog lovers, and activists. Nick shined when Meghan entered his life, supporting him to live more fully.
Nick was the funniest, silliest, absolute smartest, and wisest among us. Throughout his life, Nick was relentlessly and passionately moved towards some goal, the peaks of Kilimanjaro, the New Hampshire 48, and the Long Trail, the ultimate vat of clam chowder, the perfect all-carry, the answers to questions of beauty and banality in our world. He even added a sailing certificate to his long resume this summer. He didn’t always look like he was enjoying the work (especially the hiking), but it was clear he was driven to create, explore, and learn. He was a loyal friend, deeply sensitive, always up for a heart-to-heart. He believed strongly in showing up for his community - an act he believed involved making space to give and receive grace.
As he would often say about himself and his paradoxes, “I contain multitudes.”
Remaining on this mortal plane are his beloved wife, Meghan Perdue; his mother, Martha; brothers, Steve and Andre; sister, Jennifer; and dog, Georgia, as well as nieces and nephews Catherine, Doug, Ivan, Greg, and Luke.
He leaves behind an extensive community of friends, including Josh, Carissa, and godson Alycester, and those he collected in Cornwall, Winooski Park, Philadelphia, Somerville, JP, and in places near and far who are too numerous to mention. All will miss him deeply. He was preceded in death by his dear friend, Ian, and his father, Rod.
If you feel called to donate in his name, give to your local DSA chapter, or knock on doors for the candidate farthest to the left near you.