Obituary of Terry A. Lavier

   Mrs. Terry A. (Zalewski) Lavier, passed away on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at her home after a courageous eight-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family at the time of her passing.

     Terry was born in Utica, on June 28, 1946, the daughter of Alexander and Lila (Miner) Zalewski and was a graduate of Utica Free Academy.  Terry married the love of her life, William Lavier, Sr, and the couple shared 57 loving years together.  Terry began her medical career as a CNA at Genesee Nursing Home in Utica, then went on to earn her LPN license at the Manpower School of Nursing and her AAS in nursing from MVCC.  At one time, she was employed with St. Luke’s Memorial Hospital, later with Marcy Psychiatric Center and after 30 years of dedicated service, retired as an RN Supervisor from Sitrin Healthcare Center, in New Hartford. Terry was instrumental in forming the MVCC nursing department class pictures as well as the MVCC Horsemanship Club.  She was a past member of the American Red Cross where she was also a CPR instructor.  Terry was proud to have been listed in “Who’s Who Among Students” while at MVCC.  She also enjoyed sewing, crocheting, gardening and watching the birds out her window.  Family genealogy was very important to Terry, and she did that for 50 years, with much encouragement from her grandmother.  She was a parishioner of St. Mark’s Church, N. Utica.

     A loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Terry will be sadly missed by her loving husband, William; her son, Master Sgt. William Lavier, II, (US Army, ret.) of Colorado Springs, CO; her daughter, Desiree (Jeffrey) Christman of Utica; her son, Philip (Melanie) Lavier of Schuyler; her daughter-in-law, Jackie Lavier of Yorkville; her cherished grandchildren, Mark (Allyssa) Clemons, Olivia Clemons, Cheyenne Petrillo Lavier and Aliya Lavier; an adored great grandson, Brantley Clemons; brother, James (Sandra) Zalewski of Cold Brook, NY; brother-in-law, Fred (Eileen) Lavier of New Hartford and sister-in-law, Mary Ellen Kowiatek of N. Utica as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.  Besides her parents, Alexander and Lila, she was predeceased by her son, Sgt. Aaron Lavier in 2010, sister and brother-in-law, Alberta (Ray) Bugbee, father and mother-in-law William and Leona Lavier, brother-in-law, David Lavier and sister-in-law, Juliet Pratt.

     Visitation for family and friends is Thursday, December 15, 2022 from 4:00-7:00 p.n. at the Heintz Funeral Home, 408 Herkimer Rd., N. Utica, followed by a funeral service at 7:00 p.m. at the conclusion of visitation.  Interment, in St, Stanislaus & St. Casimir Cemetery in Whitesboro will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 4277 Middle Settlement Rd., New Hartford, NY 13413 in Terry’s memory.  Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

     Mrs. Lavier’s family would like to express their warmest thanks Dr. Charles Eldredge and Dr. Ahmad Mian and their staffs, for the many years of dedicated care you provided.  A special thanks to Dr. Atul Butala, Tonya Marr, NP and the staff at the Oncology office for your wonderful care.  Finally, our heartfelt gratitude to the nurses and staff of Hospice and Palliative Care, for the loving care and compassion you provided to Terry and her family in her final days.