Lorraine Marie Dura LaVance passed away peacefully on Feb. 6, 2018, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

She was born March 7, 1931, in Rahway, New Jersey, second daughter of Thaddeus (Ted) Dura and Louise Giroud. In her senior year of high school, she met David R. LaVance, Sr. of Manasquan, New Jersey, and they were life-long sweethearts. They married Dec. 6, 1952, and spent ­­­­59 devoted years together until his death in 2012.  Lorraine and Dave moved to the south in connection with Dave’s work and spent many years in LaGrange and Newnan, Georgia and River Vale, New Jersey before retiring to Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. After Dave’s death in 2012, Lorraine moved to the Veranda in Pensacola, Florida where she lived until January 2018.

Lorraine was a homemaker for almost all of her adult life, as she and Dave raised four active boys, and then helped with their young grandchildren. Being on the beach always made her happy, and her family spent many summer vacations camping at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Gardening was a special talent for Lorraine, and her boys always looked forward to her delicious desserts. She dealt graciously with great tragedy when three of her sons predeceased her. In her later years, she learned to use the computer and avidly followed the financial markets. She lived happily and independently at the Veranda and cherished the friends she made there.

She is survived by one son, David R. LaVance, Jr. (Martha) of Raleigh, North Carolina; granddaughters, Grace (Chris) McGuire of Natick, Massacchusetts, Elizabeth (Nicolas) Gonzalez and Caroline LaVance, both of Denver, Colorado; great-grandson Monroe McGuire; and a sister Jeanne (Lou) Nenninger of Waretown, New Jersey.  Also surviving are granddaughter Brielle (Travis) Brown; great-grandsons Gunnar Brown of High Springs, Florida and Nicholas LaVance of Missoula, Montana, children of her son Thad Dean (Ted) LaVance; grandson John David (Jack) LaVance of Lincoln City, Oregon, child of Mark Frederick LaVance; and grandsons, Steven Charles LaVance, Jr. of Roswell, Georgia and Brandon LaVance of Milton, Florida, children of Steven Charles (Melisa) LaVance.   

Lorraine was buried in Gainesville, GA, at the Alta Vista Cemetery, alongside her late husband and sons Ted and Mark.

Those wishing to send online condolences to the family may do so at Littledavenport.com

Little & Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory, 355 Dawsonville Highway, SW, Gainesville, Georgia 30501 is in charge of arrangements.