Maxine McAlavy

Maxine Erma McAlavy, 90, a longtime Moses Lake resident, passed away Aug. 30, 2023. She was born at home April 22, 1933, in Jewell County, Kan., to Samuel and Mina Louder.

She was the youngest of four children. She graduated with honors in 1950 from Jewell High School. She started her working career in banking at Citizen State Bank on the Monday after she graduated.

She married her high school sweetheart, Robert Darrel McAlavy on Nov. 16, 1951.

Her husband joined the Air Force not long after they married and the two of them moved to San Antonio, Texas, for his basic training. At one time, they were stationed in Wichita, Kan., where they lived for several years. Lori Ann was born in December of 1955, their first of four children.

Everywhere they lived, Maxine would always find work as a bank teller. She was gratified by the work, the routine and the customer service aspect of her job. She derived great pleasure from the customers and knew them well enough to greet them by name each time they came to her teller window.

Robert's service in the military also brought them to Moses Lake where they ended up settling and raising their children. Robert Alan was born in February of 1958; Clark Lee was born in September of 1960; and Janet Sue was born December of 1961 completing their family.

Maxine went to work at Seattle First National Bank and worked until her retirement.

She and Robert, together with their good friends, used to go square dancing. She would also reminisce about this time in their life. They met many lifelong friends from that time in their lives.

She loved to watch and encouraged her children as they participated in 4-H with their horses. She would go see her grandchildren's school and fair activities and loved it when her grandchildren would come to stay the summers with her.

Up until she passed, she always asked about her great-grandchildren's horses and loved being taken out to see them. She had a passion for family history and spent years researching and accumulating volumes of valuable information. She loved to go to garage sales and get out and take drives with her son Bob.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, one sister and daughter Lori Stokes.

Maxine is survived by her sons, Robert A. and Clark (Lynn) McAlavy; daughter Janet Scott; grandchildren Gene and Tim (Betsy) Buchmann, Connie (Ken) Bellows, Jessica (Kyle) Chamberlain, Nick McAlavy, Magan (Aaron) Steninger and Morgan Scott; 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.

Our deepest thanks to Monroe House and Brookstone Hearthstone for caring for Maxine during her last few years as well as Assured Hospice for helping us through her last few days.

There will no memorial service or funeral for her and she will be interred with her husband at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Auburn, Wash.

Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.