Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Retired Army SFC Irvin Lagrange passes away at 91

KAREN LAGRANGE COX

Irvin Lagrange, retired United States Army, passed away at 91 on October 4, 2022, at Camelot of Broussard nursing home in Broussard.

Lagrange was a twenty-year retired Army man. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in November 1952 to serve in Korea during the Korean War. After Lagrange’s service term ended in 1954, he was out of the Army for a month when he decided to make it a career and re-enlisted in the Army.

Irvin Lagrange at Basic Training
Irvin Lagrange at Basic Training. photo credit: Karen Lagrange Cox

Lagrange was stationed stateside in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland; Fort Dix, New Jersey; Fort Sheridan, Illinois; Fort Chaffee, Arkansas; and Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was also stationed overseas in Giessen, Hanau, and Worms, Germany, three different places in Korea, and served one and a half tours in Vietnam. During most of his service, he worked in the United States Army Post Office and as a US Army postal inspector throughout Europe.

While serving in Fort Knox, Lagrange retired on February 28, 1973 as a Sergeant First Class (SFC – E7).

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The US Army awarded Lagrange for his outstanding service with the following:

  • The Bronze Star Medal
  • First Oak Leaf Cluster
  • Army Commendation Medal
  • Good Conduct Medal 6th Award
  • National Defense Service Medical with 1 Bronze Star
  • Presidential Unit Citation
  • Korean Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Star
  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
  • Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
  • Vietnam Service medal
  • Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device
  • Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
  • Korea Defense Service Medal
  • Republic of Korea War Service Medal
  • Veterans Honor Medal by the State of Louisiana
Irvin Lagrange
Irvin Lagrange. Photo credit: Karen Lagrange Cox

Upon military retirement, he attended plumbing school at TH Harris (now SLCC) in Opelousas and drove a school bus for St. Landry Parish School Board until he went to work for Coburn Supply in Opelousas in 1975 until his retirement in December 1992. Then, he entered the sewer treatment plant business until his final retirement in December 2002.

Before entering the Army, he worked in the oil field for Fred Wyble in Opelousas and Latex Rig Building out of Lafayette, LA.

Lagrange was a native of Port Barre and Opelousas, Louisiana, and in 2019, moved to the Broussard—Youngsville area.

Survivors are his two sons, Glenn Lagrange and wife, Pat, of Tampa, Florida; Kevin Lagrange of Clearwater, Florida; his two daughters, Karen Cox and husband, Larry, of Broussard, Louisiana; and Lori Dekelegand, of Opelousas, Louisiana. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Christopher Wyble, Alison and Dustin Higginbotham, Casey and Michael Lagrange, Blake and Jade Guillory; two step-grandchildren, Colleen and Nash Cox; eight great-grandchildren, Jack and Maeve Higginbotham, Carder, Skylynn and Chad Guillory, Camille and Saige Valin, Ryder Lagrange, and two step-great-grandchildren Landon and Logan Valin; his half-brother Joe Kelly and wife Barbara of Opelousas, his half-sister Verna Kelly Vidrine of Opelousas, sister-in-laws Mavis Deville Kelly of Opelousas, Nicole M. Meche of Lafayette and Bobbie Jones of Lafayette; brother-in-laws Robert Henry Jones of Broussard and Don Jones of Milton.

Irvin was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Joyce Bodin Lagrange; his second wife, Nanette Jones Lagrange; his mother, Esther Duplechain Lagrange Kelly; his father, Atelismar “AC” Lagrange; and his half-brother, Lawrence Kelly.

Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Opelousas Cerebral Palsy Clinic in support of his granddaughter, Alison Higginbotham who has cerebral palsy. Their address is PO Box 1192, Opelousas, LA 70571-1192.


BY Local News will post obituaries for retired military personnel from Broussard and Youngsville. To submit, go to https://www.bylocalnews.com/submit/

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