Gloria M. LaFlamme
Join us in celebrating Gloria—please share your stories and photos, and help spread the word about this page!
Gloria LaFlamme - Loving Mother, Memere
Gloria M. LaFlamme (LaValle), 90, passed away peacefully at sunset, in her home on Thursday, May 13th, surrounded by love. She was an inspiration and will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Glo was born in Northampton on November 30, 1930 to Rose Ducharme and Theodore LaValle. She lived her whole life in her beloved western Massachusetts. She grew up in Leeds roaming the Roberts Meadow trails near her home and finding solace in the natural world.
She graduated from Northampton High School in 1948 where she was a cheerleader as well as a varsity basketball player. She then transitioned into the Cooley Dickinson Hospital School of Nursing where she earned her degree. Gloria spent most of her career as an RN at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, first as an ICU nurse and later as a Continuing Care Coordinator. She had a life-long thirst for knowledge and towards the end of her career decided to return to college and received her bachelor's degree from AIC in her sixties. She had great pride the day she walked across that aisle to receive her diploma.
After retirement Glo decided to relocate to beautiful North Adams and quickly immersed herself in the community. She made and kept many special friends during her time there and described it as one of the best decades of her life. Approaching her eighties, she moved back to Easthampton and settled in a bright, warm apartment in the Treehouse Community. The mixed generation/foster family community provided her with a new group of friends and neighbors, all of whom she cherished.
She was married to Robert LaFlamme of Northampton for over 30 years and they raised their five sons on North Farms Road in Florence. They chose a great place to raise a large family and she encouraged her boys to explore and enjoy the woods, streams and nearby Fitzgerald Lake, instilling in them a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors.
Glo had a zest for life and a wide variety of interests including many outdoor activities (hiking, cross country skiing, canoeing, and snowshoeing). She loved to travel locally or cross country by train and car, staying at B&B's, reading poetry and books, and watching local sporting events. Her favorite activity was doing anything associated with her grandkids. She loved to watch their sports and plays, travel with them to unique destinations, hike, shop, take them to the theatre and shows, or just visit and enjoy an occasional chocolate martini.
She was very passionate about hiking and was a longtime member of the Appalachian Mountain Club. She hiked most of the trails in western Mass, including the Appalachian Trail, as well as many trails throughout New England. She was not afraid to get dirty and helped to maintain the A.T. She was the leader of the "Tuesday Hikers Group" in western Massachusetts, and made many good friends on those hikes that continue to this day. She also enjoyed hiking with her family and impressed everyone when she hiked the Thunderbolt Trail to the top of Mt Greylock with one of her sons and grandsons for her 80thbirthday.
Gloria leaves behind a brother David Bushey, of Easthampton and is predeceased by her brother Richard LaValle, of Easthampton. She also leaves behind her five sons and their spouses, Robert and Kelly of Hatfield, Richard and Marilyn of Dalton, Daniel of Turners Falls, Thomas and Diane of Ware, and Michael and Heather of Sturbridge; as well as her beloved eleven grandchildren, Jenny (and Rob), Danny (and Jeff), Megan (and Dave), Sarah, Sean, Matt, Madeline, Cecilia, Ben, Ainsley and Harry. She also leaves her three loving great-grandchildren Owen, Eli and Kai.
Gloria's final request was that we throw "one heck of a party" in her honor. If you were a friend of Gloria's or want to pay your respects in support of her family, please join us at any point on Tuesday, May 25th from 4PM -7PM at Valley View Farm in Haydenville, MA (16 Walpole Rd.) for a celebration of
Gloria's long, love filled life. There will be a private burial with the immediate family at a later date. The family would like to express its deep gratitude to the Cooley Dickinson VNA and Hospice program for the compassionate care they provided during Gloria's final days. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charity of your choice in her honor.
Ahearn Funeral Home
(413)587-0044