Richard W. Lavanture

NAPLES, FL Robert W. Lavanture passed away peacefully on September 22, 2020. He was born on December 11, 1942 to the late Robert E. and Pauline (Lutz) Lavanture in Reading, Pennsylvania. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Wendy Anne Lavanture. Bob graduated from Miami University in 1964 with a bachelors degree in business and was the catcher for the college baseball team, Miami Redskins, during his entire tenure. A leg injury prevented him from going pro. An avid athlete, he excelled at many sports but particularly enjoyed golf and racquetball where he frustrated many opponents with his "dink" shot. Fishing, boating, travel and photography were his hobbies. Bob was a talented and passionate photographer which he shared with family and friends. He carried multiple cameras everywhere he went and took hundreds of photos on any given trip. His mornings would begin feeding the neighborhood wildlife and the evenings were devoted to his eight parakeets, chirping and flying free.After college, Bob worked in sales management from 1965 to 1972 for Parker Hannifin, Cleveland, Ohio and then joined his family business, Lavanture Products in Elkhart, Indiana as a manufacturing business professional. In 1982, he and his wife established Vytec Incorporated in Granger, Indiana. He retired to Naples, Florida in 1995.Bob is survived by his wife of 41 years, Margaret Anne Lavanture; two daughters, Julie Moore (David) and Laura Steinway (Brian); four grandchildren, Evan Bennett, Lauren Bennett, Joshua Horvath, and Haley Steinway; one brother, Richard (Marla) Lavanture; three nephews, Richard Lavanture, Alex Lavanture and Douglas Lavanture.A Celebration of Life will be held at the Potawatomi Conservatory, 2105 Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend, Indiana on Saturday, November 14, 2020 from 3:00 6:00 pm.

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