LaVonna Marie (Bowen) Vo

LaVonna Marie (Bowen) Vo, age 39, of Wilmington, MA passed away on August 22, 2023, following a courageous battle with cancer.

LaVonna was born on May 25, 1984, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She was a graduate of East Longmeadow High School in East Longmeadow, MA, Class of 2002. LaVonna was an accomplished musician playing the viola since elementary school. She played in school orchestras in Oklahoma and for a brief time in Texas. After moving to Massachusetts, LaVonna auditioned and subsequently became a member of the Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestra.

In high school, LaVonna belonged to the Drama Club and the Debate Team. Following graduation, she enrolled in Williams College, where she participated in various theatre productions and became a member of the Improv group, Combo Za. LaVonna earned her Williams College Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre, Class of 2006.

LaVonna met her husband and best friend, Van “Jerry” Vo in 2013. The couple dated for a few years before moving to their home in Wilmington MA in 2016. LaVonna and Jerry planned a big wedding celebration in 2020, but due to the Covid pandemic, they had to settle for a small private wedding ceremony on March 21, 2020. LaVonna and Jerry were a perfect match. They had shared interests, loved to travel and were both avid gamers. They were finally able to take their honeymoon to Japan in March 2023 where they had a wonderful time and made many special memories.

LaVonna had a wonderful gift of giving peace to those around her. She was a positive person who met each challenge with confidence. She was selfless and brave.

LaVonna will truly be missed by many family and friends, which include her husband Van “Jerry” Vo of Wilmington MA; her mother Marion Bowen of East Longmeadow, MA; her father James Bowen, Sr. of Stillwater, OK; her sister Tia Bowen of East Longmeadow, MA; parents-in-laws Tang and Van Vo of Lawrence, MA; in-laws Thomas and Gina Vo; nephew Liam Vo; and aunts LaShell Bowen, Jeanetta Bowen and Paulette Bowen, all of Oklahoma. LaVonna is predeceased by her brother James Bowen Jr, uncle Jesse Bowen and grandmother Jean Muse.

Family and friends will gather for visiting hours at Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Ave., (Rte. 62), Wilmington, MA 01887 on Friday, September 1, 2023 at 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

After visitation, there will be a gathering at the Common Craft Restaurant at the Burlington Mall, 75 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA 01803.

In lieu of flowers, donation gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of LaVonna Marie Vo to support cancer research and patient care at:

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
P.O. Box 849168
Boston, MA 02284

or dana-farber.org/gift