Obituary of Arthur Lavallee

Arthur Lavallee, 75, of Berrien Springs, passed away on April 17, 2018, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph, surrounded by his family.

He was born on August 16, 1942 in Maui, Hawaii to the late Arthur M. and Bernice M. Lavallee.

After graduating high school, Art served his country proudly in the U. S. Marines. On September 19, 1962 he married Shirley J. Frank at a ceremony in Yucca Valley, California. Art enjoyed flying planes, traveling, golfing, antique cars and history.  He was a man of devout faith and a member of Princeton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Illinois. He worked for Andrews University in the transportation department, driving charters throughout the country. Art has worked in the funeral industry throughout his life, most recently an employee of Brown Funeral Home in Niles. He will be remembered for his compassion and kindness to everyone he met.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother-in-law, Flo Perciach.

Art leaves to cherish his memory a loving wife, Shirley Lavallee of Berrien Springs; daughters, Sheila (Dave) Kipp of Berrien Springs and Charlene Lavallee of Battle Creek; two grandsons; Andrew and Nathan Kipp of Berrien Springs; two sisters, Linda Dodson and Gladys Perciach, both of Illinois; a half-brother, David Lavallee of Alabama.

A time of visitation will be held on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at Brown Funeral Home in Niles from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. with funeral services at 4:00 p.m. A committal service will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Oronoko Township on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. with Full Military Honors by the U.S. Marine Corps and America Legion Post 51 of Buchanan, Michigan.

Memorial contributions may be made in Art’s memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 or Your Story Hour, P.O. Box 15, Berrien Springs, Michigan 49103.

Remembrances of Art may be left for his family at www.BrownFuneralHomeNiles.com.