Mary A. Lavin, 99, of St. Clare Home, Newport, formerly of Cranston, RI, died Sunday, September 12, 2010. She was the wife of the late John J. Lavin. Born in Kilsallagh, County Mayo, Ireland on January 9, 1911, she was a daughter of the late Patrick and Sarah (Sammon) Conway.

Mrs. Lavin traveled to the United States when she was 17 years old. She resided in Lowell, MA, until moving to Rhode Island in 1937. She was employed with the Newport School Lunch Program for 20 years and also worked as a domestic throughout many homes in the Newport area. Mrs. Lavin's late husband, John, was the first weather observer at Hillsgrove and Green Airport. She was a former parishioner of St. Matthew's Church in Cranston.

She is survived by her two sons, Rev. John J. Lavin of Cranston, pastor emeritus of St. Joseph's Church in Newport, and Kevin P. Lavin and his wife Carol of Narragansett; two granddaughters, Elizabeth Lavin of Dallas, TX and Patricia Roman of Columbia, SC; her brother Timothy Conway of Kilsallagh, Ireland, and her sister Anne Cunnion of FL.

She was the sister of the late Bridget O'Connor, Sarah Murphy, Catherine Tuite, Rev. Michael J. Conway, S.M.A., and Peter Conway.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, September 16, at 1 0a.m. in St. Joseph's Church, Newport. Burial at St. Ann's Cemetery, Cranston. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, September 15, from 4-7 p.m. in the O'Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring St., Newport, RI.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mrs. Lavin's memory may be made to St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph, 5 Mann Ave, Newport, RI, 02840.