Obituary of Edith Balne Kalvaitis

Edith Balne Kalvaitis passed away peacefully at the age of 95, at her home in Darien, Connecticut, on October 7, 2014. She was a 50-year resident of Darien. Mrs. Kalvaitis was born on June 13, 1919 to the late Henry James and Sarah Louisa Balne. She was born and lived the first thirty years of her life in Mount Vernon, New York, and spent her childhood summers at her aunt and uncle's farm on Olmstead Hill in Wilton, Connecticut. In her twenties, she taught dancing to GIs at Fort Slocum, and met her future husband, Paul Kalvaitis, at a girlfriend's Christmas tree decorating party. In 1950, Edith and Paul were married and lived in Port Chester, New York, before moving to Darien. In the 1940s, before her marriage, Mrs. Kalvaitis enjoyed working in New York City as secretary to noted vitamin researcher Dr. Walter H. Eddy, and at Union Carbide, before leaving the workforce to raise her three boys. After resuming her career, she worked as an executive secretary at GTE Corporation World Headquarters in Stamford, until her retirement in 1985. Mrs. Kalvaitis is survived by two sons, Robert D. Kalvaitis of Sierra Madre, California, and Ronald D. Kalvaitis of Harwinton, Connecticut. Mrs. Kalvaitis is also survived by two granddaughters (Shannon Kalvaitis Toma of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Cheryl Kalvaitis Fonti of Gloucester, Massachusetts), six great grandchildren, and a niece Jeanne Blair of Hardinsburg Indiana. Mrs. Kalvaitis is preceded in death by her husband, Paul Kalvaitis, and her son, Royal Kalvaitis. Mrs. Kalvaitis was much loved by her family, and is remembered by her friends for her interest in handwriting analysis, her good humor and fun-loving character. She spent her retirement years doing genealogies of both her and her husband's families. The family will receive friends at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien on Saturday, October 11, 2014 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. A Memorial Service will follow at 11:00 AM. Interment at Spring Grove Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Post 53 Ambulance, P. O. Box 2066, Darien, CT 06820. www.lawrencefuneralhome.com Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820