Joseph Richard Lanthier

Funeral services for Joseph Richard Lanthier, age 87, of Tyler. Arrangements by Lloyd James Funeral Home. Mr. Lanthier passed away on Monday, January 27, 2014 in Tyler. He was born on June 19, 1926 in Duluth, Minnesota to the late Joseph and Nora Minkle Lanthier. As a Sailor, Soldier, and Civil Servant, he distinguishingly served his country for 47years. He joined the U. S. Coast Guard at the age of 17 and fought in WWII's Pacific Theatre attached to a U.S. Coast Guard transport ship serving as a gunner on a Higgins boat in the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Guam. He then joined the U.S. Army, serving in Korea and was in Military Intelligence for most of his career and retired as a Major. He then went on to serve as a Army Civilian for 27 more years retiring as the Director and right hand man for General Colin Powell for the Training and Evaluation Department for the U.S. Army. Mr. Lanthier was a member of MENSA and was also a Master Freemason. He loved to write poetry and played the saxophone, drums and spoons. His artistic interests included wood working, ceramics and scrapbooking. Joseph was an excellent dancer, learning to dance at a very young age from his sisters, Shirley and Kay. His favorite dance was the jitterbug. Joseph had a beautiful voice and sang and acted in community theatre. He was preceded in death by his son, Joseph Steven Lanthier and his sisters, Shirley Anderson and Kay Rigney. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Ringgold Lanthier of Tyler; daughters, Tally McAferty of Paraguay and Nannette Dunfield of Kansas; grandchildren, George Velten of Dallas, Mike Pallesi and Sarah McAuley, both of Kansas; great-grandson, Gabriel Velten and Samuel Whaley of Frisco; step-son; Kerry Ringgold Kingery of San Antonio; step-daughter, Melissa Ann Kingery of Austin; and step-grandsons, Justin and Jacob Kingery of Austin. Visitation will be Friday, 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Moore's Funeral home in Cabot. Burial will be 2 p.m. Friday, January 31, 2014 in Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Cabot, Arkansas.