LaVerne was born May 11, 1936 in Shanagolden, Ashland Co., Wisconsin,the son of Louis "Buck" and Agnes Irene (Wright) BeBeau. Agnes passed away in April 1945 leaving her husband and four young children. Agnes sister, Marion Wright traveled from Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada to help take care of the children. Buck married Marion Wright in late December 1945, giving the four young children a new beloved step-mother-aunt.

 LaVerne grew up on the family dairy farm and attended a two room school house in Shanagolden, later attending high school in Glidden, Wisconson. In 1952 Buck and Marion left the family farm and moved to the prairies of Willows, Saskatchewan, Canada where they purchased a combination post office, store and gas station. Willows did not have a high school so LaVerne completed high school in 1954 in Assiniboia. During the summer he worked with his Wright uncles helping build an oil pipeline in the Canadian Rockies.

After graduation LaVerne returned to Ashland County, Wisconsin, where with his cousin Stanley BeBeau he joined the US Marine Corps. In 1955 LaVerne was transfered to Pensacola, Florida Naval Air Station to attend Naval Air Cadet training. On November 10, 1956 LaVerne was in charge of organizing a Marine Corps birthday ball at whiting Field. At this ball he met Joan Wilson. 

Laverne and Joan were married February 21, 1957 in Mobile, Alabama. In 1962 Laverne graduated from the University of Alabama with a BA degree in education. He applied for a teaching position in Hastings, Michigan, and was hired. He and Joan, along with their two children, René and Rochelle, moved to Hastings in August 1962 for the beginning of the school year. In 1965 their third child Scott was born. In 1967-68 LaVerne was granted a sabbatical leave from his teaching position. He had been awarded a fully-funded Federal grant for a year of study at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, graduating with a Masters degree in Renaissance Reformation. He returned to the Hastings area school system and remained in the field of education until he retired in 1991. LaVerne loved teaching and the many wonderful students who took his class.

In 1970 LaVerne and Joan returned to the family farm in Shanagolden, Wisconsin, and began restoring the primitive log cabin where he was born and which was built in 1935-36. They spent almost every summer after 1970 enjoying their primitive life in the log cabin on the Chippewa river. LaVerne enjoyed hunting, traveling, camping and canoeing.

LaVerne is survived by his beloved wife, Joan ; sons. René  BeBeau of Alexandria, VA; Scott (Christine) BeBeau of Freeport, Mi., daughter Rochelle (Spencer) Taylor of Novi, Mi., three granddaughters, Lauren Taylor, Jordan Taylor and Michelle BeBeau; sisters, Yvonne (Harvey) Fender of Assiniboia, Sask., Denyce (Edmund) Coldwell of Saskatoon, Sask., Beverly (Les) Coldwell of Assiniboia, and Brenda (Michael) Newman of Saskatoon, Sask., brothers, Brian (Verna) BeBeau of Assiniboia, Blaine (Yvonne) BeBeau of Hinton, Alberta Canada; sister-in-law Kay (Wilfrid) BeBeau of Livonia, Mi; and many nephews and nieces.

Preceding him in death were parents Louis "Buck" and Agnes (Wright) BeBeau, step-mother-aunt Marion (Wright) BeBeau and eldest brother Wilfrid BeBeau.

Visitation will be held on Sunday June 11, 2006, from 2 - 4 and 6 - 8 pm with a scripture service at 5:30 pm at the Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings. The Mass of Christian Burial will be on Monday June 12, 2006 at 11:00 am at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Hastings, Fr. Charles H. Fischer and Fr. Alfred J. Russell celebrants, with burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Hastings.

Memorials can be made to the American Cancer Society or Barry Community Hospice. Arrangements are by the Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings. Leave a memory to the family at (girrbachfuneralhome.net)