Alli I. (Syvanen) Thane-Stetson

Alli Ingrid Thane-Stetson, age 95, passed away peacefully at her home in Heath, MA on August 24, 2023.  She was born in Maynard, MA on September 1, 1927, to Olga (Jokiniemi) and Frans Syvanen, and graduated from Maynard High School in 1945.  She married Ernest F. Thane of Maynard, 1947 and together they had four children: David, Beverly, Steven, and William. They lived in Maynard until 1958 when they bought a dairy farm and moved with their children to Heath, MA.  Ernie passed away in 1998, whereupon she married Douglas Stetson, formerly of Heath, in 1999.

Alli was predeceased by her husband, Ernest Thane, and second husband, Douglas Stetson, her sons, David Thane, and William Thane, along with wife Arlene, her sisters, Laila Syvanen, and Sylvia Erkkinen, and step-granddaughter, Hannah Coye.

She is survived by her daughter Beverly Cable, her son Steven Thane and wife Nancy, daughter-in-law Phyllis Thane, son-in-law Jack Cable, stepsons, Neil “Skip” Stetson and wife, Rosemary, Brian “Buzz” Stetson, and wife, Amy, Bruce “Mickey” Stetson, and wife Jodie, and stepdaughter, Debbie Coye, and husband Bob.   Alli is also survived by 19 grandchildren and step-grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren, including two great-great-grandchildren.

Besides being a wife and mother and working on the family farm, during the 65 years that she lived in Heath, Alli worked at Westfield Box and Lumber, Kendall Mills, and then Shelburne Falls National Bank.  She served as the Heath Town Librarian from 1985 to1996.

Alli was very active in community activities. She was a member of the Grange, Ladies Aid, Heath Agricultural Society, Board of Directors of the Heath Historical Society, and the Council on Aging. She was a library trustee, an election registrar, and served on various committees at the Heath Union Church. In addition, Alli was a founding member of the Heath Herald, in 1979, serving on the editorial staff and as staff writer for 10 years. It’s no wonder that in 2007, Alli was presented with the Heath Community’s Unsung Heroine Award by the MA Commission on the Status of Women, in a ceremony at the State House in Boston. 

A Memorial service will take place at Heath Union Church on Saturday, September 9 at 11:00 am. Private burial will take place at separate time. Memorial gifts may be made to: Heath Union Church, P.O. Box 87, Heath MA 01346 or Heath Free Public Library, P.O. Box 38, Heath MA 01346.

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