Louis Vion

Lou grew up in Smithtown, NY, the second oldest of four children and the oldest son to his parents Louis and Edith. After graduating from high school, Lou joined the Naval Reserves, since he wanted to go to college, the first in his family to do so.  He attended the State University of New York at Albany, where he earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and Masters degree in English literature.  During the summers, Lou participated in the Arena Theater at the University as an actor.  He played the lead in productions such as “The Moon is Blue” and “The Madwoman of Chillot.” In addition, he worked for the state department collecting data for the buildout of the New York State University system.

After graduating college and completing five years in the Naval Reserves, Lou was called up to active duty where he was formally trained to be a teleman, a job designed to facilitate naval communications.  He spent time in Guantanamo Bay and US naval stations primarily on aircraft carriers.  Lou married in 1957 and had two daughters, Dana and Michele, over the next five years.  He and his wife divorced in 1982.

Following his military service, Lou began a 36-year career as a teacher of English at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY.  He eventually became head of the English department and expanded his course offerings to include the humanities and ancient Greek literature.  Lou earned two sabbatical leaves to further his studies, one in Florence, Italy for a year, and one in Greece for a summer term.

Lou designed and built two homes during his life, one in Somers, NY, and one in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  He married his longtime partner, Noel, in 2003 and they purchased a home together in Sarasota, Florida soon afterward.  Lou and Noel split their time over the years between the Massachusetts and Florida homes.  Together they adopted a Bichon Frise puppy, Beauregard.  Noel passed away in 2012 and Lou has lived alone since that time. Lou’s interests included gardening, art, theater, music, reading the New York Times, and doing crossword puzzles.

Lou sold his homes and moved to Colorado in March 2019 to live near his daughter Michele and her husband, Dave. He passed away peacefully on January 25, 2021, shortly after his other daughter Dana, arrived from Oregon. He is survived by his two daughters, his three grandchildren: Brian, Luke and Kira and his youngest brother, Chuck Vion.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you donate to an organization In your community that works with at-risk teens.