Darlene Mary (Lovelette) Graves
ST. ALBANS: Darlene Mary (Lovelette) Graves, a resident of this area for 63 years and more recently of Portland, Maine, passed away peacefully Thursday, January 6, 2022 at the Portland Center for Assisted Living.
Born in St. Albans on September 11, 1948, she was the daughter of Olive A. (Combs) Lovelette and the late Merritt E. Lovelette. Darlene was 73 years old.
Darlene was a 1966 graduate of Bellows Free Academy. Upon graduation she attended Boston Children’s Hospital School of Nursing where she obtained a nursing degree in 1969. For over 40 years as a nurse, she worked at the UVM Medical Center in the Pediatric and ICU units, the Pediatric unit at the Northwestern Medical Center, a Pharmaceutical Company, and for the Franklin County Home Health Agency. Darlene was passionate about nursing which was apparent through the compassion, care and dignity she gave her patients and their families.
Darlene had several hobbies: making teddy bears, sewing, quilting, and knitting. She was known for knitting baby sweater sets and mittens. Each winter she donated mittens to local schools. Darlene’s love for knitting led her to open the “Knit ‘N Needle”, in downtown St. Albans, which she owned and operated for several years. Darlene continued her love for sewing and knitting by becoming a vendor for over 10 years, at the Northwest Farmers’ Market at Taylor Park in St. Albans. Darlene was also a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in St. Albans. She served as a Sunday School teacher and on the board of Christian Education, as well as other committees.
Darlene is survived by her mother, Olive A. Lovelette; her sons, Jason Todd Graves and his wife Tamara, and Jeremy Adam Graves; granddaughter, Lotus Marigny Graves; brother, Merritt Darrell Lovelette and his wife Susan, and sister, Cheryl (Lovelette) Duplissa and her husband David; five nieces and nephews, seven great-nieces and nephews and one great-great nephew.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at 10:00 am at the First Baptist Church, 29 Congress Street, St. Albans with Pastor Bill Simmons officiating. Interment will take place at a later date in Hillside Cemetery in Richford.
Honored to be serving the Lovelette family is the Heald Funeral Home, where messages of condolence are welcome at www.healdfuneralhome.com
