Lavent, Valere Albert

Valere Albert Lavent, 93, passed away peacefully at home Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013. Graveside services: 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Brooklyn Memorial Cemetery, with military honors. There will be a visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, at Kloster Funeral Home, Brooklyn.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lyme disease Foundation or Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Valere was born Jan. 5, 1920, to Rene Lavent and Mary Malfait Lavent, in Brooklyn. He attended rural country schools completing the 8th grade. He was united in marriage to Francine Johnston on Feb. 9, 1945.

Valere possessed a passion for flying machines from the very young age of 6. When a traveling barnstormer came to town, he talked his parents into letting him take his first ride in a World War I “Jennie” for a penny a pound.

After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Valere turned his passion into his profession by constructing an airport along Highway 6, two miles northeast of Brooklyn, where he operated Val Air Activities, an air-taxi service, contracting with General Telephone of the Midwest and others. In 1998, the airport was sold and is currently home to Skydive Iowa.

In the 1950s and 1960s, he was an active member of the Brooklyn Flying Club, where he also gave flying lessons for many years. He was a member of the Brooklyn American Legion and various aviation societies.

Valere enjoyed a lifetime of creativity, remodeling homes, building an experimental aircraft, creating tools and farming. He also enjoyed his family, growing flowers, bird watching, dancing, and playing checkers.

Valere is survived by his three children, Douglas Lavent, Montezuma, Debra Lavent and Valerie Blain, Arlington, Texas; six grandchildren, Kenneth Lavent, Montezuma, Wendy Lavent (Marcellus) Amatangelo, Des Moines, Erin (Doty) and husband Dr. Ryan Senger, Blacksburg, Va., Nathan Doty and wife Jordan, Mansfield, Texas, Jacob Blain, Arlington, Texas, and Jillian (Blain) Sikes and husband Ron, Falls Church, Va.; and two great-grandchildren, Tori Streich, Creso, and Jackson Phillip Doty, Mansfield, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 67 years; brothers, George and Marcel; sisters, Margaret and Madeleine; son-in-law, Curtis Blain; and daughter-in-law, Linda (Audas) Lavent.

Online condolences may be extended to the family at www.klosterfuneralhome.com.

Published Aug. 3, 2013 in The Gazette