In Memory

Lyle LaMere

Lyle LaMere

Can someone die of a broken heart?  Our classmate, Lyle, according to his daughter, Amanda, may have done just that.

Lyle P. LaMere passed away on Monday, November 1, 2010, at age 70 years.  Besides the tremendous feeling of loss he experienced when his wife, Vicki, passed away last March, Lyle's own recent stroke led to both difficulty walking and ultimately a challenge with swallowing.  His swallowing difficulties caused him to regurgitate some stomach juices, which got into his lungs, causing pneumonia.  These challenges required him to be placed in a nursing home, and he died there of the complications of all of these frightful life challenges.  But his daughter felt the real "beginning of the end" started with the loss of his wife, Vicki.

Lyle was first married for six years, shortly after high school graduation, to our classmate Kathy Fode.  They had two children, James and Michelle, and then divorced.  [See Kathy Fode's "In Memory" section for further details.]  Later, Lyle married Vicki and together had two children, Ron and Amanda.  Ron lives in Fargo, ND and Amanda lives in the Brainerd, MN area.  Lyle is also survived by a sister, Mary.

Lyle spent his entire life in the floor covering business.  He was skilled at the installation of carpet, tile and laminates.  He worked as an independent contractor, both for himself and for area businesses in the floor covering business.  Lyle was a certified floor inspector, and was able to assist both customers and flooring businesses in determining whose fault it was if a particular floor covering was improperly installed, and who was at fault for the faulty installation process and liable for the repair costs.  He was an expert in anything having to do with floor covering.

Lyle and Vicki built their own home in Lake Shore, MN, in 1981, in the Nisswa area, on a lot given to them by Lyle's parents.  They did most of the construction work themselves.  They lived there ever since and started their family with son Ron, who was born in 1982, followed thereafter by daughter Amanda.  Vicki passed away earlier this year, in March 2010.  This loss was taken very heavily by Lyle, who had been suffering for some time with chronic back pain.  It was thought that he had suffered a mild stroke that had misaffected his right side.  This stroke made walking difficult, and he needed a walker to assist with his mobility.  Those of us who attended the 70th birthday bash and cruise on Lake Minnetonka noted that Lyle was in attendance, used his walker, and seemed to have a good time.  Lyle, however, did not alert any of us that he was under substantial pain, both from his chronic back condition, and his remorse at the loss, just 4 months earlier, of his beloved wife, Vicki.  We all wish he had been more forthcoming about his personal situation, but Lyle remained, as usual, his stoic self.

Lyle is survived by two sons, James and Ron, two daughters, Michelle Lamberton and Amanda LaMere, and his sister, Mary Joyce.   He was preceded in death by his wife, Vicki LaMere, father L.J. "Bud" LaMere and mother, Irene LaMere, sister Dianne LaMere and brother Ronald LaMere.

We only knew Lyle LaMere for three years in high school, for he entered the St. Louis Park Schools in 1955, coming to us from De LaSalle High School.  But he was with us long enough for us to know that what we observed in his behavior that might be "mischief" was, for Lyle, merely a noteworthy "virtue."  We suspect that such "mischief" masquerading as "virtue" was for Lyle the more properous way of looking at life.