On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Lt. Col. Nevin L. Lantry, USAF (Ret), of Melbourne, FL, beloved husband and father of two children, passed away at the age of 83. Nevin was born on October 19, 1936, in North Canton, Ohio, to Clarence and Edna (Yarnell) Lantry, and married Beverly Joan Laye on March 26, 1958. Together Nevin and Beverly raised two sons, Kenn and Doug.
Nevin devoted his life to public service. Soon after graduating high school, Nevin joined the U.S. Navy, serving an enlistment as a bandsman aboard the USS New Jersey. After leaving the Navy and marrying, he earned a degree in Music Education from The Ohio State University in 1960, then led the music program and marching band at Marysville High School in Marysville, Ohio, for six years. In 1966, he re-entered the military with a commission in the U.S. Air Force.
Nevin’s dedication to public service took the form of passions for teaching, learning and leadership, with a love of music, the water, and all things mechanical. His military career in music brought joy to the literally millions who heard USAF band performances throughout South America, Europe, and the U.S. His stories of USAF band trips remain legendary.
In his 28-year active duty military career, he commanded bands in South Dakota, the Panama Canal Zone, Germany, and Texas, as well as serving as Chief of U.S. Air Force Bands at the Pentagon for eight years and earning three master’s degrees. Following Air Force retirement, he worked as a crime analyst for the Orlando, FL, police department for a decade.
Not one to be idle in a second retirement, Nevin again returned to public service as a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary member in 1993, where he taught navigation, search and rescue, and water safety, educating and qualifying many Coast Guard members. The Coast Guard Auxiliary gave Nevin a way to get back to the sea he’d left many years before, this time in a technical and teaching capacity. With the USCG, he ensured coastal safety during several space shuttle launches and served as Flotilla 17-11 Commander, Division 17 Vice Commander, and in several other positions. He loved his boat, the Nev-n-Bev, and maintained it meticulously, and he especially valued the work of keeping Florida’s waters and boaters safe. He served the Coast Guard for 27 years.
In addition to his Coast Guard service, Nevin volunteered for a decade with his wife Beverly at Melbourne, Florida’s Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts.
Nevin was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Edna, his son Kenn, his sister Ellen, and his brother Wayne. He is survived by his wife Beverly, of Melbourne, FL, his son Doug (Peggy Lindsey) Lantry of Xenia, OH, his sisters Janet (Glenn) Johnston of Melbourne, FL, Ardyth (John, d.) Austin and Ginny (Larry) Swanson, both of Orlando, FL, his brother Dick (Erika, d.) Lantry, of San Antonio, TX, his brother-in-law George Laye, of Washington, MA, numerous nieces and nephews, and his beloved dog, Juliett.
A celebration of life service with military honors will be scheduled at a later date due to the current public health crisis. Please check back on this website for updates. For those who can’t wait, we encourage you to have a bratwurst and a beer while viewing Dumb and Dumber, Vacation or Van Wilder while sharing the worst puns you can think of with loved ones. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Fund (cgmahq.org/donate/memorial.html) or The Ohio State University’s Eugene J. Weigel Memorial Scholarship for Music Education (giveto.osu.edu/makeagift/?fund=607631).
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