Obituary for Elwin Guy McLaughlin
Elwin Guy McLaughlin peacefully passed away on Thursday, October 28, 2021, after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease at Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center in Walsenburg, Colorado. He was 85.
Born on a farm on December 18, 1935 in Underhill, Vermont, he joined the US Army right after graduating high school in 1953 as a Private. He married Dorothy M Rich on February 27, 1956 in Vermont and during their 61 year marriage had six children. Over the course of his twenty-one-year career which took him to Alabama, Texas, France, New York, Virginia, Kentucky, Japan, Korea, Greenland, Vietnam and Thailand, he ranked as a Chief Warrant Officer and retired at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia in 1974. After his retirement from the US Army, he worked as a mechanic at Citgo and Lakewood Automotive Center in Woodbridge, Virginia. He then retired a second time from Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority in Fairfax County Virginia as a mechanical engineer.
After living in Woodbridge Virginia for thirty nine years, he and Dorothy relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2006. In 2015, they moved to Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center in Walsenburg, Colorado.
'Mac', as he was so lovingly called by all that knew him, is survived by four sisters (Esther McLaughlin, Lenore Whitten, Katrina Smith, and Elizabeth Reil), five children (Beth Staats, Lee (Patty) McLaughlin, Duane (Maria) McLaughlin, Steven (Betty Jane) McLaughlin and Sheila McLaughlin), twelve grandchildren (Joshua and Matthew Staats, Lee Jr. and Kristina McLaughlin, Melissa and Dalton McLaughlin, Nicole and Steven Jr. McLaughlin and Jessica Pastell, Hannah Baker, Keven Jr. and Isaac Jones), twelve great grandchildren (Trevor, Tyler and Tori Staats, Christopher, Jillian and Amelia Staats, Zoe, Kendall and Jayden McLaughlin, MacKenzi, Ainsley and Finley Pastell) and two great great grandchildren (Nolan and Ellie Staats).
He was predeceased by his wife Dorothy McLaughlin, his daughter Lavonne McLaughlin and his sister Marie Salter. He will be missed by a large extended family, long time friends, neighbors, caretakers and many others as he left an impression on every person he met.
Elwin and Dorothy McLaughlin will be laid to rest together at a later date at Quantico National Cemetery in Triangle, Virginia. If you so wish, kindly consider making a donation in Elwin's memory to the Parkinson's Foundation.
The family would like to thank all of those that kept Mac and the entire family in their thoughts and prayers, and those that reached out during this most difficult time. We as a family would like to also extend many heartfelt thanks to all at Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center for making the last years of his life fun, exciting and most importantly comfortable.
Born on a farm on December 18, 1935 in Underhill, Vermont, he joined the US Army right after graduating high school in 1953 as a Private. He married Dorothy M Rich on February 27, 1956 in Vermont and during their 61 year marriage had six children. Over the course of his twenty-one-year career which took him to Alabama, Texas, France, New York, Virginia, Kentucky, Japan, Korea, Greenland, Vietnam and Thailand, he ranked as a Chief Warrant Officer and retired at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia in 1974. After his retirement from the US Army, he worked as a mechanic at Citgo and Lakewood Automotive Center in Woodbridge, Virginia. He then retired a second time from Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority in Fairfax County Virginia as a mechanical engineer.
After living in Woodbridge Virginia for thirty nine years, he and Dorothy relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2006. In 2015, they moved to Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center in Walsenburg, Colorado.
'Mac', as he was so lovingly called by all that knew him, is survived by four sisters (Esther McLaughlin, Lenore Whitten, Katrina Smith, and Elizabeth Reil), five children (Beth Staats, Lee (Patty) McLaughlin, Duane (Maria) McLaughlin, Steven (Betty Jane) McLaughlin and Sheila McLaughlin), twelve grandchildren (Joshua and Matthew Staats, Lee Jr. and Kristina McLaughlin, Melissa and Dalton McLaughlin, Nicole and Steven Jr. McLaughlin and Jessica Pastell, Hannah Baker, Keven Jr. and Isaac Jones), twelve great grandchildren (Trevor, Tyler and Tori Staats, Christopher, Jillian and Amelia Staats, Zoe, Kendall and Jayden McLaughlin, MacKenzi, Ainsley and Finley Pastell) and two great great grandchildren (Nolan and Ellie Staats).
He was predeceased by his wife Dorothy McLaughlin, his daughter Lavonne McLaughlin and his sister Marie Salter. He will be missed by a large extended family, long time friends, neighbors, caretakers and many others as he left an impression on every person he met.
Elwin and Dorothy McLaughlin will be laid to rest together at a later date at Quantico National Cemetery in Triangle, Virginia. If you so wish, kindly consider making a donation in Elwin's memory to the Parkinson's Foundation.
The family would like to thank all of those that kept Mac and the entire family in their thoughts and prayers, and those that reached out during this most difficult time. We as a family would like to also extend many heartfelt thanks to all at Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center for making the last years of his life fun, exciting and most importantly comfortable.