Eugene Lavange

Waynesville-Eugene Benjamin LaVange, age 81, of Georgia Avenue, died Friday, March 11, 2005 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. A native of Scituate, MA and had resided in Western North Carolina for over 48 years. He was the son of Benjamin H. and Margaret Ellen Duffy LaVange. He was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters. He was retired from the North Carolina Employment Security Commission where he began working in 1952. An army veteran of World War II, he served in North Africa and the South Pacific and was a member and past commander of American Legion Post 47 and a member of VFW Post 5202. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and a beloved uncle to his many nieces and nephews. He was a life-long fan of the Boston Red Sox, who brought him much joy last fall. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Matilda Jane Wilson LaVange; one daughter, Susanne Tinsley and her husband, Preston, of Clyde; one son, Ben LaVange, and his wife, Lisa, of Chapel Hill; and five grandchildren, Patrick, Kate, Zachary, Leigh, and Alex. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, 120 Wall Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10005.