Lauretta Lee Venable died peacefully in her sleep in Ocala, Fla. on May 26. She was born in New Lyme, Ohio, the oldest of Lauri Andrew Lautanen and Dorothy (Howard) Lautanen’s six children. After graduating, with 10 classmates, from New Lyme Deming High School in 1950, she attended Kent State University and then Mt. Sinai School of Nursing.
In 1952 she eloped to marry John E. Venable, Jr. in Michigan, and three children later, he graduated from Ohio State University medical school in 1957. They moved to Virginia, Arizona, and Michigan with the Public Health Service before settling back in Ohio and together opening a family practice in Jefferson in 1964.
Their four children attended Jefferson Schools, where she supported the band and faculty, and enjoyed attending many of the sports teams’ competitions.
After their divorce in 1976, she enrolled in college again and graduated in 1978 with one of the first Physician Assistant degrees awarded from Lake Erie College in Ohio. She obtained her Masters of Liberal Studies in 1980. Lee pursued her P.A. career in Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida until she retired at the age of 70.
While she lived in Charlotte, NC, Lee enjoyed playing badminton, ultimately participating and medaling in singles and doubles badminton in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, North Carolina State, and National Senior Games in San Antonio. Lee also enjoyed humor, beautiful gardens, art, and traveling around the U.S., Denmark, Australia, France, and Finland. And she proudly wore her Ohio State University shirts on football game days!
She is survived by her brother, Ken Lautanen, Palm Harbor, Fla.; sister, Kathy Yeager, Parma Hts., Ohio; children, John R. Venable, Fremantle, Australia; Deborah Duncan, MD, Fenton, MI; Sondra Venable, New Orleans, LA; and Susan Travis, Williston, Fla.; grandchildren, Christopher Duncan and Alex Travis; and 17 nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Donald Lautanen and Tom Lautanen; sister, Wendy Gruskiewicz; one niece; one nephew; and Dr. John E. Venable.