Obituary: Lance Gherlone, 75, of West Haven

Information via West Haven Funeral Home

Lance Gherlone, 75, of West Haven, passed away suddenly on April 10, 2020. He was born in Anniston, AL, son of the late Louis J. Gherlone and his wife Catherine Mendez, and Nelda Gherlone and her husband Lt. Col. George L. Simpson III. Lance is survived by his former wife of 46 years, Dechantel Degnan Gherlone, his son Marc Gherlone and his wife Tiffany of Woodbridge, his grandchildren Leo and Tessa and his siblings, Barbara Lehrer and her husband George and Louis M. Gherlone Jr. and his wife Linda.

As the son and stepson of U.S. service men, Lance lived throughout the country and in Germany during his childhood. However, for much of his adolescence he lived with his beloved grandparents, Marcello and Rose Gherlone, on Taft Ave in Allingtown, West Haven. After graduating West Haven High School in 1962, he drove himself to the University of Miami to pursue a career in education.

After transferring to and graduating from East Carolina University in 1966, Lance began his 39-year career as an art teacher in Windsor Locks and Meriden. He married his high school sweetheart and moved to Orange where he lived for over 40 years. He loved raising his son, working in his yard and garage, carpentry and jogging.

Some of his fondest memories and dearest friends are from the 20 years he worked part-time at Porch and Patio on the Post Road. Following his retirement from teaching in 2005, Lance enjoyed traveling, managed the men’s locker room at the Woodbridge Country Club and opened a small jobs business.

Lance took extreme pride in his work and applied attention to detail in everything he did. In recent years, he enjoyed helping his son with restoration projects at his colonial farmhouse, making collectable pin and map collages from his travels, word search puzzles, swims at the Orange town pool, walks by the West Haven beach and vacations to Cape Cod with his grandchildren, who both look a bit like their Poppie.

Lance was an artist by profession with a special talent for pen and ink. One of his drawings won Best in Show at the Orange Country Fair. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Arts Council of Greater New Haven at newhavenarts.org. All funeral services will be private, in care of West Haven Funeral Home at the Green.

For more information and to leave online condolences, visit West Haven Funeral Home here.