Dr. Louis E. LaGrand

Louis E. LaGrand, Ph.D., passed away peacefully at his home in Venice on June 4, 2019 at the age of 83. Dr. LaGrand was a Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York, College at Potsdam, and Adjunct Professor of Health Careers at the Eastern Campus of Suffolk Community College in Riverhead, New York. For more than 40 years, Dr. LaGrand worked as a certified grief counselor and led workshops around the world to help people cope with the loss of a loved one. He was a highly regarded, and much sought-after, international speaker, giving lectures at companies, schools, hospices and health agencies. Dr. LaGrand started the first course on bereavement and death at Potsdam College and was founding president of Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley. He was a member of the grief support team for the TWA disaster off Long Island in 1996. In addition, Dr. LaGrand worked for years as a bereavement coordinator at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Venice. As a best-selling author of eight books and multiple articles, Dr. LaGrand was known for his work worldwide on the extraordinary experiences of the bereaved. His first two books on the subject, including Messages and Miracles: The Extraordinary Experiences of the Bereaved, have been translated into several languages. Louis Edward LaGrand was born on Sept. 18, 1935 in Utica, New York and attended Whitesboro High School where he lettered in four sports, including football, basketball, baseball and track. He later graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland where he was a standout basketball player. In his early career, Dr. LaGrand was head basketball coach at Potsdam College. He also holds advance degrees from Columbia University, Notre Dame and Florida State University. Survivors include his wife of 55 years Barbara; four sons, Christopher, Gregory (Teresa), Scott and Stephen. He's also survived by five grandchildren, Jacob, Zachary Crews, Olivia, Alexandra and Chloe LaGrand; his sisters, Joan Rockefeller and Judy Pender; as well as nieces and nephews. He's also survived by his beloved companion ""Brooklyn."" A funeral mass will take place on Wed., June 12 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Venice at 10 a.m. with a reception to follow at the Pelican Pointe Golf and Country Club. All are welcome to attend. The family would like to say a special thank you to Tidewell Hospice of Venice, especially to Dr. LaGrand's nurses Lisa Gutman and Joy Gollnick. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Tidewell Hospice. Service Information Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2019 Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Address: 1301 Center Road, , Venice, FL, 34292 | Map