Lorne Varvel passed away on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, at the age of 97. Lorne was born on September 2, 1919, in St. Elmo, Illinois. He lived most of his life in Blue Mound, Illinois. He is a WWII Veteran who served as an Army Staff Sergeant in North Africa & the South Pacific Theaters. After WWII, Lorne worked as a furniture salesman and later co-owned the Blue Mound Furniture store. In 1950 he married his best friend & love of his life, Marjorie Etchison. After retirement, Lorne & Marjorie moved to Germantown, Ohio, to be near family. In 2007, they moved to Mesa, AZ.
Lorne lived to love & honor God. His dedication to God was reflected in the loving, encouraging way he related to his family and every person he met. He was a lifelong student of the Bible. He led Bible studies until he was 95 years old. He was a well-loved member of the East University Church of God.
Lorne was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Marjorie (Etchison) Varvel, 2008. He is loved dearly by his daughter, Leatha Frank and son-in-law, Craig of Chandler, AZ; grandson, Kevin Frank and his wife Ericka of St. Louis, MO; granddaughter, Marla Frank De Lucia & her husband Frank, great-grandsons Frankie & Sam De Lucia of Bel Air, MD. He also leaves several beloved nieces & nephews in Illinois & Ohio.
A memorial service will be held at the East University Church of God, 6630 E. University Dr, Mesa, AZ 85205, at 11:00 am on Friday, August 4, 2017. Interment will be at Mountain View Memorial Gardens, Mesa, AZ.
Contributions in Lorne’s honor may be made to the AZ Association of the Church of God, P O Box 1388, Chandler, AZ 85244.
What a wonderful man Lorne was. An exemplary character and a beautiful love for the Lord.
A great example of what living for Christ is all about!
Rest In Peace Lorne, you will be dearly missed.
Love, Brian & Sabrina Vieth
Leatha, we are sorry for your loss. I wish we could attend the service but we will be out of town on that date. Please know that we are thinking of you. Sounds like your dad had a very long and rich life. It was nice reading about his life. I am sure his faith encouraged him and greatly influenced you in your faith in Christ. Hugs, love, and prayers from us to you and your family!
Art’s dad was born very close to St. Elmo in Brownstown with uncles who lived in St. Elmo until they passed away.
A vibrant and charismatic soul to be sure! We were well met. Love, Gucci and Tam Tam
What a wonderful legacy! Love you guys!
Lorne was a great man and we admired his faith, sense of humor and kindness. We enjoyed his company at the Citadel when we visited. We will miss him at all the family functions!
Love, Gary, Cheryl Vieth & family