Vincent Francis Lavorgna, Sr.

On Saturday evening, April 11, 2026, our father and dear friend to so many passed away peacefully in Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA, at the age of 94.

Dad was born and raised in Waterbury, Connecticut, to young Italian immigrants, Marc and Catherine Lavorgna. He attended Crosby High downtown Waterbury. A good student who loved sports, particularly baseball and later basketball. After getting married and moving to Los Angeles, he was at that time considering a career in baseball as a pitcher. When he and his bride, our mother, Georgeanne, first married in Connecticut, they headed for California, where my father entered El Camino College Los Angeles to pursue his degree in engineering and sports program/baseball. He finished his degree, but broke his leg, sliding into second base, which essentially ended his dream of a sports career. Him and mom were starting their family in the Lawndale and Torrence area of Los Angeles. During the Korean War, dad was a machine gun instructor for the National Guard, and then went to work for McDonald Douglas Engineering-Aircraft Division installing machine gunnery in airplanes. After breaking his leg and having to sit at home, he began studying the Bible with one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He soon realized that his career in artillery engineering for aircraft was not what he wanted to pursue any further. John 13:35.

After several local manufacturing jobs, he entered real estate to support his family. However, supporting his family also well achieved, his main endeavor after studying the Bible was to become a minister, which he also did for the rest of his life. While working in the Southern California area of Torrance, Playa Del Rey, Marina del Rey, and Santa Monica, his reputation was well known as the “honest guy in real estate.” He sold real estate in the Los Angeles area for many years and later went to work for a notable financial institution in Beverly Hills as an acquisitions manager for developing real estate, not only in California, but in various other states of the country. Late in life, he pursued carpentry also, becoming an excellent finish carpenter, working in the Southern California area for various professionals, including physicians, rock stars, and the Doris Duke Foundation. He also late in life worked in New York at Watchtower, Bible & Track Society headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses on construction activities. He was very successful in real estate, but more importantly, successful as a father and a minister, helping many people learn the Bible's teachings and the hope and promises that it holds out for mankind.

Lavorgna family enjoyed many good times, spiritual events, and memories over the years with dad and mom, trips to Hawaii, trips back east to Connecticut visiting family and lots of family events. Dad was a strong spiritual leader in our family to the benefit of all of us reading the Bible to us every day before we went to school.

Preceded in death were his father and mother; first wife, our mother, Georgeanne Lavorgna; his second wife, Diane; his brother, Marc; his daughter, Tammy; and his son, Lance.

He is survived by his sister, Catherine and her husband, Bob of Waterbury Connecticut; his son, Vince Lavorgna of Idaho Falls, Idaho; his daughter, Sondra and her husband, Dan Wood of Idaho Falls, Idaho; his daughter, Anna and her husband, Eric Brink of Atascadero, California; stepson, Mike Ball; stepdaughter, Lisa Ball; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, and nieces.

It is of noteworthy mention that for the last 4 1/2 years Dad was living in Idaho Falls with his daughter and her husband, Dan and Sondra Wood. Sondra and Dan were main caregivers with the help of his grandson, Chris Wood, and his wife, Jessica. Also, Dad's great grandchildren, Aiden and Remington were a pleasure for him to know and be around and were of help in his last years.