1923 – 2015

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

She was born on Aug. 1, 1923, the daughter of Louise W. Stevens and Clyde E. Stevens, and attended schools in Auburn and Brunswick.

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, where she later taught secretarial courses, and graduated from the University of Maine in Orono in 1951. During the 1950s and 1960s, she held secretarial or teaching positions in New York City; Boston, Mass.; Hartford, Conn.; and in Houlton and Fort Kent, 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, Mass.

Madelyn 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, Mass.; a brother, Emery Stevens, of Portland; three nephews; two nieces; and three cousins.

She was predeceased by her husband, Alfred G. Provancher.

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