Roland LaVoie, Philly area Lionel stalwart, passes

Sad news

A great great guy

 

Got the call last week that he was in bad shape---all the philly area guys have had him in thoughts and prayers

 

I'll never forget him at the Greenberg shows years ago with his pointer ( the teacher in  him ) showing all the kids the highlights of his wonderful Lionel layout.

It seemed like he had every accessory in the world on a 4x8---although I think it may have been a 5x8

 

He will be missed

Again---one of the good guys

 

 

Joe S

Very sad news.  As RadioRon mentioned I was one of many that Roland inspired to grow in the hobby.  His Greenberg's Model Railroading with Lionel Trains published in 1989 really provided the motivation for me to begin repairing my own and in some cases other's post-war Lionels.  He truly was a dominant presence at many of the Philly area Greenberg shows in the 1980s and 1990s. He was an exuberant lover of anything Lionel.   His 5x8 layout was literally crammed with accessories.  He explained in his book that the crowded atmosphere of the layout made it appear much larger than it was in reality.  I am saddened by his untimely departure from us.     

I never met him, but I know he was the primary author one of my main ‘go-to’ publications. As someone who is interested in Lionel MPC-era trains, the Greenberg’s Guide for that era (the Red Book) is an indispensible reference. My copy is well worn.

 

Condolences to his family and friends.  

Very sad.  He was part of the fun of the Greenberg Shows in the 80s and early 90s. A wonderful teacher and O gauge innovator, I would stand by his 5X8 portable layout and absorb everything he said.  A great fellow, always willing to share his knowledge.

 

I was wondering what had happened to him.  He seemed to "disappear" right when Command Control began.

 

May he rest in peace.

 

Peter

May God bless his soul and loved ones.

RJL

He autographed one of his books for me at a Greenberg show. We spoke a bit.  A very decent fellow.  Mark

Roland was a valued member of our Greenberg Publishing Company team of authors and contributors, and a friend to all of us who were with Greenberg Books and Greenberg Shows.

 

I am certainly VERY sorry to learn of his passing, and I'm sure that Bruce and Linda Greenberg, as well as all others on the team, share the profound sense of loss.  Roland was a staunch advocate for the hobby, and one of its most dedicated recruiters.

 

Sincere sympathies to his family and many friends.

If I remember right, the first Lionel book I bought when I returned to the hobby was his. Really got me interested in trains again and showed me the possibilities

Roland brought his layout to the 1994 TCA convention at York. My daughter was not quite 4yrs. old at the time and loved all the action - so much so that she leaned too close and caused a derailment. "That's OK, don't worry". Dick Kughn was there and said "That's why OUR layout is higher". Roland pointed to her and said "SHE is the collector of tomorrow, that's why this is down where she can see it!". Class act. Sorry to hear the news.

Very sad indeed.  I used to see him on Friday nights at Joe's Train Station in Feasterville.  As far as I'm concerned he wrote THE book on MPC era Lionel.  His packed layouts got me back into the hobby in the late 1990's.  My condolences to his family.

I'm really sorry to hear the passing of one of my hobby mentors.

 

I had the opportunity to work with Roland on the 1970-1990 Greenberg Modern Era Lionel Book in the late 1980's. Even though I was still in high school, wet behind the ears and about the same age as some of his students, he always treated me as an equal and encouraged my collecting efforts.

 

We first met in person at one of the summer Pittsburgh Greenberg shows in the early 1990's, and I vividly remember him running around the 5'x9' layout that others have mentioned above. There's little doubt that many train enthusiasts were introduced to the world of Lionel while circling its perimeter. (Does anyone know if that layout survived the thousands of miles it had on it?)

 

Regretfully, we lost touch in later years, and I last remember talking with him at York in the early 2000's. But I can honestly say that he'll be a tough one to forget, and I'm grateful that our paths crossed when they did.

 

Todd Wagner

Great guy!! Always remember his packed layout. Made me get back into the hobby. Have one of his Greenburg books. He will be missed.

His books on MPC Lionel are the gold standard as far as I am concerned. He really taught me a lot about that era and train collecting in general in his writings. I still have several of his books and refer to them often!

I am glad so many of you got to meet him; unfortunately, I never did.

I hope he is enjoying the "Great Roundhouse in the Sky!"

A GREAT GUY ALWAYS HAD TIME TO TALK ABOUT TRAINS.

 

LOVED FRIDAY KNIGHTS AT JOE'S TRAIN STORE.

 

 

GG1GUYY

I got to know Roland when I worked for Greenberg shows. Great guy. The eve Bruce,Linda, Roland and many other staff members came to my home for dinner after the show was and eve that I will always remember. I watched him many times at the shows in Pittsburgh do his thing with his layout. RIP my friend.

Very sad news.  I bought one of Roland's books many years ago on a trip to Washington DC.  I picked it up at a hobby shop in Union Station.  I've looked at it often over the years.  That 8x5 layout with a mixture of 0 and 0-27 track was a great little toy train layout.  

In the early 1980's I went to this shop with a friend of mine who was looking to buy a train set for his uncle.  Mr. LaVoie overheard us talking about it and went out of his way to help us put together a nice Lionel set.  It was after that visit I began seeing him at the Greenberg Shows in the Philly area.

 

A great ambassador to the hobby, he will be missed.

A great loss, a good man. I was so honored to be of help in one of his books, Model Railroading with Lionel Trains.

B&OBill

Same here. My copy of Roland's "Red Book" is also heavily worn. It has given me a lot of enjoyment for many years, and remains my go-to reference source as well for the period that got me into Lionel trains. Sad to hear of his passing.

Very sorry to hear about the death of Roland LaVoie.  The first book I purchased when I got into O Gauge was his Model Railroading with Lionel Trains.  I still refer to it often.

Jeff Davis

This is very sad indeed. When I first got back into the hobby, one of the first books I bought was his Model Railroading with Lionel Trains. I still have this and still refer to it. I also have his MPC era Greenburg book. Loved his writing. He will truly be missed and was a great ambassador of the hobby.

Late as this post may be, Roland E. Lavoie was one of the best friends I have ever had, and with his knowledge of Lionel trains and his wilingness to share his enthusiasm, the hobby has lost a true promotor of collecting and operating.  How often on Friday nights at Joe's Train Station in Feasterville, PA we gathered to talk trains, and I learned something from him just about every time I saw him.  I will always miss Roland.

 

Joe Breitner

I'm sorry for everyone's loss.  He obviously was well loved by those who knew him.

 

--Greg

Very sad news.  Thank you for sharing.  I really enjoyed his books and his conversational style of writing.  His enthusiasm just flew out of the pages.

 

He'll be missed.

 

Rick, Mpls.

This is sad news for our hobby. Roland was a blessing for his family, community and the toy train world in general.

All of our lives will be a little less full because of his passing. It is due to the the selfless dedication of people like him that the world is a better place to live.

 

May you rest in peace Roland and may all of the LaVoie family and friends get through this loss with God's grace and peace of mind knowing that we will meet again.

 

I too was a recipient of his knowledege and advice on a number of occasions.

 

God Bless,

Mario Evangelista