Lalor Earle

Lalor M. Earle quietly completed her very interesting and rewarding life on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at the age of 100, after a brief illness. She will be sorely missed by all the family and friends she loved and who loved her so dearly. Lalor was predeceased by her husband John B. "Jack" Earle, Jr., and two grandsons Max Earle and Kevin Lanna. She is survived by her children, Elizabeth Earle, Helen Earle, Margaret Mondul (Steve), John Earle III (Cat Griffith), and Katherine Earle (Harold Lanna); grandchildren Maria Earle (Jaume Coll), Laura Mondul, Michael Mondul (Mary), Nick Lanna, Justin Lanna, and Zev Deans (Rachel Kitson); great-grandchildren Jackson Coll, Melinda Atkins (Reagan), Justin Mondul, Brooke Mondul, Rose Mondul, and Andrew Lanna; and great-great-grandchildren Holly and Christian Atkins. A number of cousins, nieces, and nephews were also very dear to her.

Lalor was born in Coronado, CA, into a Navy family. She graduated from the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, MD and attended San Diego State. Lalor married Jack, a Naval officer, in 1944. When Jack retired from the Navy, he took a position in administration at Stratford College in Danville. After moving around with the Navy her entire life, Lalor was glad to be in one spot permanently and able to participate fully in her new community. She taught at the First Baptist Church kindergarten/pre-school, volunteered with the groundbreaking Head Start Program, and coordinated the Womack Foundation student loan program for eight years. Lalor worked with the Community Services Board, the Child Abuse Prevention program, and Project FACT. Lalor was active in the League of Women Voters, YWCA, the Free Clinic, God’s Storehouse, Church Women United, and Habitat for Humanity. She was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, the Danville Museum, and the Danville Area Council of Community Services. She took a great interest in local government, City Council, and downtown redevelopment.

Over the years Lalor won numerous awards for her dedication to helping people: The Frances Lyle Award for Exceptional Merit in the Prevention of Child Abuse, the Jane Harris Award for Outstanding Service to the Community and Humanity, the Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute Volunteer of the Year Award, and the Danville Area Disabilities Employment Network Award. In 2017 the Danville Area Council of Community Services created and presented her with the first annual Lalor Earle Award in honor of her service.

Because she was interested in everything and everyone and had lived in many places, Lalor had friends of all ages, from all walks of life, all over the country, who she kept up with until the very end. She loved to travel and hear about your travels. She was particularly fond of Ireland, from which her unusual first name came (a family surname). Before her recent move to assisted living, Lalor loved sitting on her porch and watching the birds. She enjoyed history, family genealogy, art, and Danville Symphony concerts. In her younger years, she thought a beautiful day was best celebrated by flying a kite.

Funeral services will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Danville, followed by a reception in the church parlor. The burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, consider a contribution in her honor to God’s Storehouse or Habitat for Humanity.