Stephen LaVie Obituary

Stephen Francis LaVie, aged 78, passed away on October 9, 2025, in his residence at Dominion Senior Living in Athens, TN.
Steve was born on December 24, 1946, to Sarah (Docherty) and Francis LaVie. He attended Boston Public Schools and continued his education at Fitchburg State College, MA. His education was interrupted when he joined the US Navy in 1969. He advanced to Engineering Lab Technician and was assigned to the ballistic submarine Sam Rayburn. After nine patrols, he concluded his service in 1976.
Steve spent his entire civilian career working in the nuclear power industry. After leaving the Navy, he began working at Nuclear Utilities Services (NUS) in Gaithersburg, MD. He went on to work in emergency planning at Duquesne Power and Light in Beaver Valley, PA. Later Steve was appointed to a Health Physicist position at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in Washington, DC, where he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award. Steve enjoyed his work immensely and was very well respected by his colleagues. He retired in 2017.
Steve was awarded his Bachelor of Science degree in 2017 and was named Distinguished Alumnus at the Fitchburg State University graduation ceremony that year.
Steve's passions were scuba diving, travelling and the arts, especially music. He contributed to the Kennedy Center, the Clarence Brown Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera. Steve was a frequent weekend visitor to New York City, where he would organize his schedule to take in a Broadway show, an opera, and a concert. During his world travels, he attended performances in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia.
Stephen is predeceased by his parents. He is survived by sisters Jacqueline (Kenneth Embry), and Elizabeth Wolffe (Richard), and brother David (Lois). He is also survived by his Goddaughter Sarah Beth Knox {James}, and her son Sullivan, who was like a grandson to Steve. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews: Scott LaVie, Deborah LaVie, Jonathan Embry, Rachel Wolffe, and Matthew Wolffe and by many cousins and dear friends.
The family would like to thank the dedicated staff at Dominion Senior Living, with a special thanks to Steve's aide, Dee Silman.