Mary Louise (Parkhurst ) Lavallee, 90, died on Jan. 20, 2026. Up until the end, Mary Lou maintained her kindness, humility, grace and appreciation of all the love from family and friends.

Mary Lou was born on Oct. 5, 1935, the only child of Ralph and Marjory Cummings Parkhurst.

Her early years were spent in Peterborough and Nashua, New Hampshire and she graduated from Nashua High School, then attended The University of New Hampshire, class of 1957. She later earned a master's degree in guidance and psychological services from Springfield College.

She was married to Captain Hugh M. Lavallee from 1959 until his death in 1963 in a military aircraft accident while on duty with the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Surrounded by good friends and family, she raised their two sons in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and for the next 30 years worked as a lay professional in the Episcopal Church and assistant to three successive bishops in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Her responsibilities included being editor of Diocesan newspaper, committees as deployment consultant with national and international travel…including several trips to Africa.

In 1995 she retired, for the first time, and moved to Maine to be closer to her children and grandchildren, eventually becoming involved again in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, for three additional years. Mary Lou was an active volunteer in Brunswick, notably with Habitat for Humanity and Hospice Volunteers.

Mary Lou loved being “Nana” to her grands, making it a point to be as engaged as possible and sharing in their stages of life.

In 2005, she married long time friend, Daniel B. Kunhardt, of Bath. They enjoyed living together and having visitors at their beautiful waterfront home in Brunswick, and eventually moved to Thornton Oaks Retirement Community in 2012, where Dan passed in 2017.

Mary Lou is survived by her two sons: Douglas and his wife Colleen of Bowdoin, ME and Steven, his wife Jean of Cape Elizabeth; six grandchildren, Hugh, Stephen, Sallie, Katherine, Timothy and Maureen, three cherished great-grandchildren, Kingston, Eve and Gino and all the Kunhardt Family.

A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brunswick, Jan. 31, 2026, at 2 p.m., with a committal later at Lower Pine Hill Cemetery in Peterborough, New Hampshire

In lieu of flowers the family suggests you may wish to make gifts to St Paul’s Church or a charity meaningful to you.