Alva Breithaupt

Alva Virginia “Hunter” Breithaupt (October 20, 1924 - May 2, 2020)

Alva Hunter Breithaupt died on ­May 2, 2020, surrounded by her loving family.  Born in Paterson, NJ, and a resident of NJ for 92 years, she recently moved to North Andover to be near two of her children. Alva was the beloved wife of Malcolm “Mac” Breithaupt, who predeceased her in 1999.  Alva and Mac married in 1947 following his return from US Navy duty in the Pacific during World War II.

Alva grew up in Paterson, NJ with her three brothers, all of whom predeceased her: John “Jack” Hunter (2014), Edward Hunter (2017), and William Hunter (2014).  She was often teased for being strong and independent because of the influence of those three brothers. Even in adult life, she was devoted to all of them, speaking to each at least once each week and often every day. Alva was a 1942 graduate of Paterson, NJ’s Central High School.   She worked for Wright Aeronautical during WWII and for the Manhattan Shirt Company when her children were young.

In 1960, Alva and her family moved from Paterson to Packanack Lake in Wayne, NJ.  While Mac taught in the Montclair and Essex Fells school systems and pursued graduate degrees in education, Alva devoted herself to raising their children and actively supporting her community.  Alva volunteered in many capacities, including as a Girl Scout Leader, a member of many Packanack Lake Community Church committees, a long-time volunteer at Chilton Hospital, and for more than forty years as the advertising manager for Pack-A-News. In 2016, she received the Packanack Community Volunteer Award.

For many summers when the kids were growing up, the family packed up and worked at camps for underprivileged children from New York City.  Their first assignment was the YMCA at Camp Custer in Haverstraw, New York, and later, the Fresh Air Fund Camp in Branchville, Connecticut. Mac was assistant director, Alva was secretary, and the kids became campers for the summer.  Alva worked for twenty-five years as a secretary in the Wayne School District, first as a Board of Education secretary and then as secretary to the Vice Principal at Wayne Valley High School, a job she truly enjoyed.

An avid baker, Alva was generous in sharing her Toll House cookies, coffee cake, and banana breads with friends, family, and acquaintances. Alva was an avid walker, getting out early every day to walk her beloved Packanack Lake.  Described as “feisty” by her son, she had a great sense of humor and was always an optimist.  Most of all, Alva was a generous, thoughtful and caring friend to those with whom she grew up and to so many more in the Packanack community where she resided for 56 years.

Alva was devoted to her family and was a wonderful wife, sister, aunt, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She leaves three children: Robert “Bob” Breithaupt and his wife, Bonnie, of Londonderry, NH, daughter Leslie Breithaupt Marchesseault and her husband, Guy, of Boxford, MA, and daughter Janice Breithaupt and her husband, Jim DeLorenzo of Philadelphia, PA. Alva adored her three grandchildren, Kyle Marchesseault and his wife, Marisa Howe, of Newton, MA, Andrew Marchesseault and his wife Analiese Wilcox Marchesseault, of Washington, DC, and Meaghen Breithaupt and her husband David Neiman of Meriden, CT, and her four great grandchildren, Eleanor “Ellie”, Tyler, Johann, and Lawrence “Laurie”.  Alva also played a large part in the lives of her many nieces and nephews.  Alva will always be a loving presence in the lives of her family, and we will miss her dearly.

The family would like to express its heartfelt appreciation for all the caring support provided to Alva by the staff at Brightview, North Andover and Hospice of Massachusetts.  A private burial service will be held at the family plot in Laurel Grove Cemetery, Totowa, NJ.  A celebration of Alva’s life will be scheduled for a beautiful summer day.