Martha Lavallee

Martha Jeanne Simons Lavallee, age 74, passed away early on March 3, 2025, in the presence of family. She just spent the weekend doing some of her favorite things: visiting and worshiping with her family, watching birds, and singing in her church choir.

Martha was born on April 23, 1950, in Xichang, Sichuan, China to William and Florence Simons.

The Simons served as missionaries in China and then moved to the Philippines when she was a year old. Other than returning to Buckingham, PA for occasional furloughs, Martha grew up in Pagsanjan, Philippines and attended boarding school in Manila until she moved to Boston, MA to attend Gordon College.

She met Louis Lavallee at Gordon College, and they married on July 10, 1971. She taught high school biology at Lexington High School, moved to Germany where her husband was stationed in the Army, and returned to New Hampshire where their first two children were born. They moved to Jackson, Mississippi in 1980, where their next three children were born.

Martha was a lifelong educator and a mother-figure to so many who called her mom. She homeschooled her five children, ran a weekly Bible Club for the children in her Queens, West Jackson neighborhood, and supported women in her community as they raised their young families.

Through her husband's connection to Reformed Theological Seminary, she unofficially adopted every international student that came through the school and regularly gathered students who couldn’t make it home for the holidays. She loved hosting–from tea parties for her grandchildren, family dinners, and ladies' luncheons to providing a place for missionaries who were state-side.

Martha was like a magnet to people from other cultures, and a friend and support to people adjusting to new places. Martha had a knack for finding people on the fringes and making them feel welcome. She kept up with most of them, even as they proceeded to move all over the world.

She took any opportunity to support ministries in helping the underprivileged, unborn children, and those taking the gospel to the nations. She was an active member at Providence Presbyterian Church where she also taught ESL and Sunday School, led bible studies, and sang in the choir. In her free time, she played piano and gardened fervently.

Martha is survived by her husband of 54 years, Louis Lavallee; her children, Abi (Roger) Lowther, Laura Christel Lavallee, Elizabeth (Ashley) Abraham, Virginia (Thrinicko) Beaboa, Paul (Joy) Lavallee, and son-in-law, Cal Horlings; her grandchildren, Aidan, Eastin, Coen, and Kaizen Lowther, Kingsley and Rio Horlings, Esther, Bethany, and Arianna Abraham, Le-Manific & LeRoi-Louis Thrinicko; and her brothers Russ (Ramona) Simons, Ralph (Holly) Simons and Wes (Dayana) Simons.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Flossie Simons, and granddaughters, Rebekah and Lydia Abraham.