01/24/2024

Obituary for Mavis Lambert

Mother-in-law of Randy Van Hove, Embalmer at Busch Funeral Home and Crematory Services

Mavis Rose Lambert, age 82, passed away on January 22, 2024, surrounded by her family, and is now rejoicing in heaven following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Mavis was born on December 27, 1941, to Everett and Pearl (Childress) Rose in Clintwood, Virginia. At age 2, her father was killed in a coal mining accident. Consequently, Mavis spent much of her youth in Michigan living with her older sister's family outside of Detroit. At age 18, she was visiting family in Virginia. As she and her sisters and cousins drove around, they picked up a hitchhiker that her cousin knew. That man was Buford Lambert. On March 18, 1961, she married Buford.

Mavis leaves behind her children Tami Van Hove and her husband, Randy of Ashland, and Brian Lambert and his wife Carol of Strongsville. Additionally, she has five grandchildren, Joseph (fiance Yunnan Zhang) Van Hove of Columbus, OH, David (Allisa) Van Hove of Seattle, WA, Garrett (fiance Allysa Kohler) Lambert of Mt. Joy, PA, Libby Lambert of Cincinnati, OH, and Kenny Lambert of Clemson, SC. To say that her grandchildren were the light of her life would be an understatement. She always made them feel extra special by baking cookies for them and their athletic teams, and making sure they had whatever they wanted to eat at her house.  As they got older she wanted to make sure they all had the best fresh vegetables and would make her weekly trip to visit her Amish friends to get them. They never had to question how much she loved them.

Mavis had worked at Hydromatic Pumps in the Human Resources department for many years. She retired in 2004 after 29 years of service. She loved sharing lunches and times together with the extraordinary friends she made at Hydromatic.

Following retirement, she and Buford attended all their grandkids' events, usually with cookies in tow. They also traveled a lot with their friends and family.

Following Buford's death in 2012, Mavis volunteered at the United Way of Ashland and University Hospital (Samaritan Hospital). In 2019 Mavis was named United Way of Ashland Volunteer of the Year. Executive Director, Stacy Schiemann appropriately called Mavis "Sassy and Sophisticated" when she announced her as the award winner that year. Mavis also attended Compassion Church in Ashland.

In addition to her husband, she is preceded in death by her siblings, Cecil (Red) Rose, Darrell (Smoky) Rose, Bonnie Rose, and Bea Puckett.

She is survived by her sisters, Wanda Rose of Taylor, MI, Edna Cantrell of Romulus, MI, and Scharlene (Bud) Phipps Greene of Clintwood, VA.

Mavis loved flowers of all kinds, so feel free to send them or make a donation to the Ashland United Way (32 W South St, Ashland, OH 44805) in her memory.

The family will receive friends from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 26, 2024, at Fickes Funeral Home, 84 N. High Street, Jeromesville. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 27 at 10:00 a.m. at Substance Church, 101 W South Street, Ashland.

Online condolences may be made at www.fickesfuneralhome.com