Laura Knudsen Lavallee passed away peacefully with loved ones by her side early
Friday morning May 1st, 2026. Laura was born in Laconia, New Hampshire on Mother's Day, May 10th,1953. She was the daughter of Nancy Meadnis Knudsen and Everett B. Knudsen. In 1956, the family moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. She was a strong girl, always trying to keep up with her two older brothers. In 1964, the family moved toWest Springfield where she graduated from high school in 1971.

Her college career included studies at Roger Williams University, the University of Minnesota, and the University Without Walls. She earned a BA specializing in the writers of the Beat Generation. After college she settled in Providence, Rhode Island and, because of her love for literature and books, she first worked at the Brown University Bookstore where she had an encyclopedic knowledge of the inventory.

In August 1983, while working at Leo's restaurant in downtown Providence, she met the love of her life, Albert Lavallee. She joined him and his two young teenagers, Christopher and Melissa, living in Warwick Rhode Island. They married in 1988 in Galilee, RI. In 2001, they moved to Charlestown where they have lived ever since, enjoying their kids, grandkids, extended family and friends and neighbors. She especially loved engaging in deep one on one conversation. She had the wonderful gift of making each person feel special. Her favorite activities were reading, kayaking, camping, hiking, cooking, flower arranging, and making and giving away earrings and necklaces. She lived life with a great sense of humor.

Laura always loved helping people, especially the underserved. She worked for many years for URI in their program encouraging Providence inner city high schoolers to go on to college. She worked directly with the teenagers in the classroom and on many field trips and wrote successful grants to keep the program going. She also wrote a grant to obtain the first Mac computers for students in the Providence School system.

Her final job was as Administrator of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Brown University. She helped medical students with their practical and administrative needs. She wrote grants for funding and assisted the doctors in grant writing, specializing in editing their drafts.

Laura retired at 59. She and Albert acquired a fifth wheel RV and traveled with their two Portuguese water dogs, Lilly and Breezy, who were treated like the best dogs ever! Laura and Al made a sojourn around much of the US and another major trip to Colorado and Canada, with many exploratory stops along the way. They also spent a number of winters in Florida.

Laura was deeply loved by many people. She leaves her beloved husband Albert, her daily companion through life, her son Christopher Lavallee and grandkids Luca and Harper and daughter Melissa Allen and husband Rob Allen and grandkids Robbie and Lindsey. She also leaves brothers Kris Knudsen and his wife Corine and Eric Knudsen and wife Judy Farrar, sister-in-law Alma Egan, brother-in-law Joseph and Marian Lavallee, brother-in-law Al Bucci, and many loved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Donations in Laura's memory may be made to Brown Health's Vanderbilt Center, where Laura was helped tremendously after her first stroke in December. Donate at
https://giving.brownhealth.org/Newport/Donate.

(Please cut and paste the link into your browser.)

Please indicate in memory of Laura Lavallee and specify that it is a gift for Vanderbilt Center.

A celebration of Laura's life will be held this summer at a time and place to be determined.