Obituary: Madelyn Provancher, of Arlington

The following is from DeVito Funeral Home.

Madelyn L. (Stevens) Provancher, 91, of Arlington, died Monday, Jan. 26, 2015, in Burlington, after a short illness.

She was born Aug. 1, 1923, the daughter of Louise W. Stevens and Clyde E. Stevens, and attended schools in Auburn and Brunswick, Maine. In 1944, she joined the WAVES division of the U.S. Navy, training in Oklahoma and New York before being stationed in Washington D.C. for the duration of World War II. She studied at Bliss College in Lewiston, Maine, (where she later taught secretarial courses) and graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1951.

During the 1950s and 60s, she held secretarial or teaching positions in New York City, Boston, Hartford, Connecticut, and Houlton and Fort Kent, Maine, among other locations. She married Alfred G. Provancher in 1964 and settled in Lewiston, where she later worked as an administrative assistant at Central Maine Medical Center until her retirement.

In 2000, she moved to Arlington. She is remembered as an avid collector of postcards and other memorabilia, with a passion for history and genealogy.

She is survived by a son Charles Provancher; a son-in-law David Lenoir; and one grandson Anthony, all of Arlington; a brother Emery Stevens of Portland, Maine; three nephews, two nieces and three cousins. She is predeceased by her husband Alfred G. Provancher.

Visiting in the DeVito Funeral Home 1145 Mass. Ave., Arlington, on Thursday, 4-8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Madelyn’s memory may be made to: Christopher Reeve Foundation, 636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3A, Short Hills, NJ 07078. For directions or to send a condolence, visit devitofuneralhomes.com.