Obituary of Virgil Lee Laing, Ph.D.

Virgil Lee Laing, of Loveland, Colorado passed away peacefully on April 22, 2023 at home after suffering from ALS and Parkinson’s Disease. Virgil, known as “VL” to friends and family, was born January 16, 1941 to John and Susie Laing who raised him in Blue Earth, Minnesota with his two older brothers.  Their family operated a small convenience grocery store before moving to Buffalo, Minnesota for his middle and high school years.

Virgil attended St. John’s University (Minnesota) for two years and then transferred to the University of Minnesota where he met his wife, Mary, at a Neuman Center dance. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS, MS and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. Virgil and Mary married in 1965. They lived in Minneapolis until 1969 when they headed west to Loveland for a job with Hewlett Packard and to pursue elk.  Virgil worked as an engineer at HP in Loveland and Greely for 31 years in the areas of research and development and quality assurance. After retiring from HP, Virgil started a second career working side by side with Mary in residential real estate sales and property management for 12 years.

During his 54 years in Loveland, Virgil was active in St John Evangelist Catholic Church, serving on the finance board, singing in the choir and acting as a lay minister. As an avid outdoorsman, Virgil enjoyed big game and bird hunting, fishing for walleye, and backpacking in the Colorado mountains. Virgil and Mary relished annual trips to Mexico with close friends and family, plus getting away to Steamboat Springs. An engineer at heart and a life-long learner, Virgil delighted in building and repairing just about anything, but especially his 1967 Corvette.

Virgil was devoted to his wife and their three children, their extended families, and his hunting dogs. He is survived by his wife, Mary (Diercks) Laing and his children: David (Margot) Laing, Ann (Derek) West, Molly (Matthew) Campbell, and six grandchildren. Virgil was preceded in death by his parents and his older brothers, John and James.

Virgil’s family will host a visitation at Viegut Funeral Home in Loveland at 1616 N. Lincoln Avenue on Wednesday April 26, 2023 from 3-5 pm with a rosary prayer at 5pm. A Funeral Mass for Virgil will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 10 am at St. John the Evangelist Church, 1730 W. 12^th Street, Loveland, and a lunch will follow.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Virgil Laing Memorial Fund of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the ALS Association: https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR/PersonalFund/General?pg=personal&px=8986918&fr_id=10061#.ZEaakS-B2Tf  or St. John the Evangelist Church: https://www.saintjohns.us/donate. Condolences may be shared at viegutfuneralhome.com.