Zane Eugene LaCroix passed away on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the age of 83.
The son of Ralph and Henrietta (Binkley) LaCroix, Zane was born on Nov. 12, 1938, in Topeka, Kansas. He would also live in Arkansas City and Hutchinson, Kansas, and Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
After graduating from high school in 1956, Zane joined the United States Army Reserves and served until his honorable discharge in 1964.
Zane studied speech pathology in college, earning a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern State College in Tahlequah in 1961 and a master’s degree from Phillips University in Enid in 1971.
While working at Enid State School in 1969, he met Ginger Marshall. They went on a picnic in Meadowlake Park with Zane’s son Blayne in a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, followed by a second date at the movies to see Alice’s Restaurant. They married in 1970 and would spend the next 52 years together.
For 60 years, Zane was a leader in the field of speech-language-hearing pathology, helping thousands of children, stutterers, stroke victims and intellectually disabled persons improve their speech. He worked for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, state schools for the mentally handicapped, schools for the blind and deaf, juvenile detention centers, elementary schools, disability determination services for the Social Security Administration and in private practice.
Zane was appointed by Governor George Nigh to serve on the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology from 1982 to 1985. Throughout the years, he held several offices for the Oklahoma Speech Language Hearing Association and, in 1985, was given its Honors of the Association Award. In 1994, he was given the Honors Award by the Directors of Speech and Hearing Programs in State Health and Welfare Agencies and, in 2011, he was awarded a Fellowship of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, one of its highest honors. He continued working until the end of 2021.
Following a car wreck in 1976, Zane had his left arm amputated. This life change pushed him to learn new ways to do things, but he stayed active, running and playing indoor soccer. He was also artistic, creating figures and sculptures.
Zane enjoyed fly-fishing in Willow Creek near Tincup, Colorado, and with the Fish & Whiskey Society at Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma. He was a lover of weird sandwiches — many of which included peanut butter, butter, pickles and tomatoes — and simple drinks, like Scotch and water.
Zane is survived by his wife, Ginger; son, Blayne LaCroix and wife Angela of Fort Worth, Texas; daughter, Aimee McElhaney and husband Mark of Yukon, Oklahoma; son, Ryan LaCroix and wife Tiya of Blanchard, Oklahoma; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; brother, Kevan LaCroix of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; many nieces, nephews, cousins, other family members; and one very loyal dog, Malee.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Renn LaCroix.
The family will hold a memorial service on what would have been his 84th birthday, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at 2 p.m. at First Christian Church, 601 Maple Avenue, in Yukon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Zane’s name to First Christian Church in Yukon, where he served as an elder. Arrangements are under the direction of Yanda & Son of Yukon. Online obituary and guestbook are available at www.yandaandsonfuneralhome.com.
