Robert "Bob" LaPlante

Robert ‘Bob’ LaPlante, 91, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on February 7, 2025. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts where he met his wife Jacquie. He served in the US Army and then worked as a components engineer for the General Electric Company. In the middle of a typical upstate New York winter, when G.E. announced that they were opening a facility in Daytona Beach, he was happily the first to volunteer to move his family. They moved to DeLand in 1963. Bob was a member of St. Peter Catholic Church and was ordained as a permanent deacon in 1985. His ministry included the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and prison ministry. He played golf into his later years, and was an avid swimmer his entire life. He enjoyed socializing with his family and friends, and loved watching sports, especially football and golf. He was predeceased by his parents, Theodore and Gladys LaPlante, grandson Ross LaPlante, and his daughter in law Mary Kirlin LaPlante. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jacqueline LaPlante, his brother Richard ‘Dick’ LaPlante, his daughter Marcia (Ric) Sperling, sons James (Sara), Robert, Rooney, and Chris (Merici) LaPlante, grandsons Rory (Erin) Campbell, Ryan (Melissa), Sam , and Cody LaPlante, and granddaughter Renee (Sammy) Muniz and great granddaughters Aria, Alayna, and Riley. The family will receive friends on Friday, February 28th from 5-7pm, with a wake service at 6pm, at the Allen-Summerhill Memorial Chapel in DeLand. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, March 1st at 10am at St. Peter Catholic Church in DeLand, with interment to follow at DeLand Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the St. Peter Catholic Church Kairos Prison Ministry.

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