Alayne Barbara Stevens Macaulay

MADISON- Alayne Barbara Stevens Macaulay, age 73, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010. She was born on Nov. 4, 1936, in Madison, to Rudolph Stevens and Loraine (Solveig) Neesvig Stevens. Alayne graduated from Madison East High School in 1954 and from Valparaiso University in 1959, with a degree in elementary education. To fulfill an interest in seeing New England, she accepted a first grade teaching position in Hartford, Conn. The second week there she met the love of her life, Donald Robert Macaulay, a civil engineer with the Connecticut Highway Department. They were married on July 9, 1960. After two years of teaching in Hartford, they moved back to Madison and raised a family of four beautiful children. Alayne continued to teach 32 more years as a pre-school teacher and substitute teacher in Madison Public Schools and worked part-time at her fathers store, Stevens House of Gifts. She was proud of her Norwegian heritage and was a member of the Idun Lodge of the Sons of Norway. Alayne and her husband performed as folk dancers with Folklore Village for many years. She took up Norwegian knitting, hardangersom and weaving in Norwegian patterns. Alayne embroidered and made her Gulbransdal Bunad (Norwegian costume). She completed a two year course in Norwegian language at the University of Wisconsin and then spent five months at a Folkeskole in Seljord, Norway. On a trip to Norway on their 25th wedding anniversary, she was able to reconnect with relatives on her paternal grandmothers side and has since maintained a close friendship with her fourth cousin Ove Fonbak (Toril) and his family. Besides traveling, Alayne enjoyed spending time with family, reading, camping, biking, canoeing, gardening and preparing Norwegian foods. She and her beloved husband celebrated their 50th anniversary this year. Alayne felt very blessed to have such a loving, caring, fun family. She is survived by her husband, Donald Macaulay; four children, Dr. Grant R. Macaulay of New York City, N. Y., Erik Jon Macaulay of Salt Lake City, Utah, Susan Kouwe of Tampa, Fla., and Mark Stevens (Mary) Macaulay of Madison; grandchildren, Layna Kathryn, Coltrane Stevens, Solveig Frances Macaulay, and Jack Connor Kouwe; step grandson, Robert Kouwe; her sister, Marilyn (Richard) Blaschke; and her brother, Robert Stevens. Alayne is further survived by her brothers-in-law, Alan (Petitesa) Macaulay, David (Bertha) Macaulay, and Jon Macaulay; many cousins, nieces and nephews; two ragdoll cats, Ole and Lena; and many wonderful, loving friends including special friend, Nancy Washburn. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Leonard (Petra Swenson) Neesvig and Olav (Josephine Fonbak) Stevens; her parents, Rudolph and Loraine (Solveig) Stevens; sister, Delores Jensen; brother, Rudy Stevens; and lifelong special friend, Joette Barnhart. A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON FITCHBURG FUNERAL HOME, 2950 Chapel Valley Road, Fitchburg, at 11 a.m., on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. Visitation will be held at the funeral home, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service, on Friday. Memorials may be made to HospiceCare Inc, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, WI 53711, Unity of Madison, 601 Tompkins Drive, Madison, WI 53716 or Idun Lodge, Sons of Norway, 2262 Winnebago St., Madison, WI 53704. The family extends a special thank you to JoAnn Kowalski and the wonderful staff at the HospiceCare Center and St. Marys Hospital. Memorials: Memorials may be made to HospiceCare Inc, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, WI 53711, Unity of Madison, 601 Tompkins Drive, Madison, WI 53716 or Idun Lodge, Sons of Norway, 2262 Winnebago St., Madison, WI 53704. Visitation: Visitation will be held at the funeral home, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service, on Friday. Service: A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON FITCHBURG FUNERAL HOME, 2950 Chapel Valley Road, Fitchburg, at 11 a.m., on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010.