KAREN LAGRANGE COX
Irvin Lagrange, retired United States Army, passed away at the age of 91 on October 4, 2022 at Camelot of Broussard nursing home in Broussard.
Lagrange was a twenty year retired Army man. He was drafted in to U.S. Army on 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 he wanted to make it a career and re-enlisted in the Army.
Lagrange was stationed stateside in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD, Fort Dix, Fort Sheridan, IL, Fort Chaffee, AR and Fort Knox, KY. He was also stationed overseas in Giessen, Hanau and Worms, Germany, three different places in Korea and served one and a half tour in Vietnam. During most of his time of service, he worked in in the United States Army Post Office and as a US Army postal inspector throughout Europe.
While serving in Fort Knox, KY Lagrange retired on February 28, 1973 as a Sergeant First Class (SFC – E7).
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 Medial 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
Upon military retirement he went to 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 went into the sewer treatment plant business until his final retirement in December 2002.
Before entering the Amy, 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, LA and in 2019 came to Broussard – Youngsville area.
Survivors are his two sons, Glenn Lagrange and wife, Pat, of Tampa, FL; Kevin Lagrange of Clearwater, FL; his two daughters, Karen Cox and husband, Larry, of Broussard, LA and Lori Dekelegand, of Opelousas, LA. He is also survived by seven grandchildren Chris 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 brother Joe Kelly and wife Barbara of Opelousas, 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 brother Lawrence Kelly.
In lieu 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/
