Francis R. Lavenger, beloved husband of Janet, his wife of 62 years, died July 31. 2018, at his home in Upper Black Eddy, Pa., where he had been in hospice care. Born May 13, 1931, in Ulm, Germany, he spent most of his early years in England, and received his BsC degree in Mechanical Engineering from Leeds University. Upon entering the United States in 1952, he joined the U.S. Army, returning to Germany to serve in our Army of Occupation until his honorable discharge in 1954. While employed as an engineer with Diamond Machine Company in Lewiston, Maine, he developed several innovations for the shoe and textile industry and designed improvements for the company’s materials handling systems. After re-locating to Pennsylvania in 1985, he formed his own company to design fully automatic processes for building heavy equipment for John Deere, Ford, Caterpillar and other tractor companies, and later developed an extrusion handling system for the window and door industry. He is survived by his wife, Janet; their godchild and family, Karen and Richard Rodgers, Thomas and Mary Rodgers; Kevin Rodgers; and two cousins, Mrs. Helga Gannon of Ilkley, Engand and Tony Booth of Spofforth, England. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 www.alz.org