Diane Perkins Boisvert of East Andover, beloved mother, grandmother, wife, friend, and sister, passed away on August 20, 2022 after a period of failing health. She slipped away peacefully in her home with her loving family.
Diane was born to George and Alta (Gurley) Perkins on December 31, 1942 in Beverly, Massachusetts. She was the middle child of seven children and is predeceased by her parents and four of her siblings: Frederick Perkins, Glenda (Perkins) Counts, Judith (Perkins) Fordering and George Perkins, Jr. and her favorite uncle, William Gurley. She graduated from Newburyport High School in 1960 and was an executive assistant at the Boston office of New England Power. She moved to East Andover in 1970 and co-founded the company that would eventually become Continental Machine Corp.
She leaves behind her husband and business partner of 57 years, Armand. She is also survived, and deeply loved, by her children Douglas Boisvert (Kristie) of Danbury, and Kimberly Boisvert (David) of Boscawen. She also leaves her stepchildren Andrea Smith, Susan Zampell, and Steven Boisvert; her grandchildren Justin (Heather), Patrick (Kellie), Robyn (Randolph), Lauren (Matt) and Brenna; and two great grandchildren, Bailey and Hannah. She is also survived by two siblings, William Perkins and Elaine (Perkins) Grace, and many nieces, nephews, and friends that loved her like family.
Diane’s life was filled with a myriad of interests and activities. She was an avid and voracious reader; a talented, self-taught baker and cook; an enthusiast of games of any type, from cribbage to video games; and absolutely adored making the holidays magical for her family. She was an owner of several successful businesses and real estate holdings. She enjoyed snowmobiling and rode recreationally as well as raced them, and also raced mini-sprint race cars in the early 1990s. She was a tireless and indispensable crewmember for her son, husband, and grandchildren during their motorsport racing careers; was endlessly supportive of her daughter’s equestrian pursuits; and was always in attendance at her grandchildren’s athletic practices and games, including many years traveling with the Andover One Wheelers unicycle team.
Diane shared her love of reading with the first graders of Andover Elementary Middle School where she volunteered for 19 years. She adored all things Disney; loved to travel; was a Manchester Monarchs hockey fan; loved roller coasters; enjoyed water aerobics and going to cruise nights with her husband in their 1967 Chevelle. She loved the ocean since childhood and loved to spend time with her family at their camp on Highland Lake. She enjoyed watching the wildlife around her home and kept a bowl of peanut M & Ms to feed to the squirrels, which came running when she called to them and grew startlingly large.
As dynamic and varied as her interests and accomplishments were, the most amazing things about her were her warmth, incredible wit, mischievous sense of humor, limitless compassion and kindness, and infinite ability to love. Diane had a unique way of making everyone she knew feel loved, special, and valued. She was unparalleled as a wife, mother, and grandmother, and the impact she has had on her family’s lives is immeasurable. It has truly been the privilege of a lifetime to love, and to be loved, by her.
The family will hold a celebration to honor her and her beautiful life at a later date. If you wish to honor her now, we hope you will hold your loved ones close and remind them how important they are. She will be missed beyond measure.