Obituary of Laverne C. Etshman

(Rochester): Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at age 84 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Mr. Etshman is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Lois Etshman; sons, Todd (Tina) Etshman, and Eric (Sarah) Etshman; grandchildren, Nicole, Adelaide, Wyatt, and Alexander. He includes among his beloved family Lois' siblings Bruce (Sylvia) Wagner, Durbin (Judy) Wagner and Fay (Frank) Vido; plus numerous nieces, cousins, and nephews. A U.S. Navy World War II combats Destroyer Veteran. He served primarily in the Asian-Pacific Theater including the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, for which he was awarded the Navy Unit Citation. He was also a Japanese Kamikaze survivor, and received both the State of New York Medal of Merit and the Conspicuous Service Star. He was a member and past President of the local Navy Retired Officers Mess. A graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA and an Eastman Kodak executive. Mr. Etshman was a specialist in the area of human resource management and counseling. He coordinated the company's Equal Employment Opportunity program, and helped to found Kodak's Employee Assistance Program which he was managing at the time of his retirement in 1986. He was active in wide variety of Rochester community affairs, serving on the boards of the Association of Retarded Citizens and the Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center and was an active volunteer for many years at the United Way's Volunteer Connection in addition to the governing board at Summerville Presbyterian Church in Irondequoit. "Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me. And that Thou bidst me come to Thee. Oh Lamb of God, I Come! I Come!" Friends are invited to meet the family Thursday, December 30th, 1:30 PM at SUMMERVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH for his memorial mass. To light a candle in Laverne's memory or to send the family a condolence, please visit www.harrisfuneralhome.com.