Louis "Skip" LaBonte III

Louis “Skip” LaBonte III, age 78 of Bellevue, passed away Saturday, August  17, 2024, at The Bellevue Hospital. Skip was born July 2, 1946, in Bellevue, the son of the late Louis Jr. and Evelyn (McManaway) LaBonte.

Skip graduated from Bellevue High School in 1964. Even before graduation, he started running the projectors at the Star View Drive-In outside Norwalk, continuing to do so for more than ten years. He worked in the body shops of Midway Inc and Gildenmeister Motors before opening Skip’s Auto Body in 1979. Skip’s Auto Body served Bellevue and the surrounding area for almost 25 years. After retirement from the shop, he was employed part-time at ABJ Equipfix, Castalia where he formed some lasting friendships.

His favorite hobby was drag racing all over the country for over 35 years with his partner Dan Seamon. During retirement he enjoyed spending time with his many friends at the VFW posts in Bellevue and Clyde, the Eagles in Bellevue and Clyde, the Moose Lodge in Clyde, the Elks Lodge in Bellevue, and the Monroeville American Legion.

Skip and Jan did some out-of-state traveling, but particularly enjoyed visiting every county in Ohio to view the 88 painted bicentennial barns. They also eventually located every original covered bridge in Ohio, later expanding their travels to include bridges in a number of neighboring states. Winery stops were included in many of these excursions. 

Skip is survived by his wife, Janice (Mortenson) LaBonte, whom he married February 3, 1968, in Monroeville, OH; daughter, Dr. Shannon Armer of Pretoria, South Africa; granddaughters: Sophia and Olivia Armer; brother, William (Thersia) LaBonte of Leesville, SC; sister-in-law, Judith Shaw of Raleigh, NC; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Skip is preceded in death by his sisters: Irene “Sandy” LaBonte, Jacqueline Rose-Michael, and Gloria Jeanne Holt.

Friends will be received on Saturday, August 24, 2024, from 10:30am until a memorial service beginning at 12:00pm at Foos & Foos Funeral Service, 151 Yorkshire Place, Bellevue, OH 44811. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memory Gardens, Clyde, OH.

Memories and condolences may be shared online at foosfuneral.com