Edward Ralph Lavagnino Jr.

Edward "Tony" Lavagnino, a pharmaceutical research chemist with a decades-long career at Eli Lilly, passed away on October 4, 2024, in Indianapolis at the age of 94.

Lavagnino was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Edward Raphael Lavagnino Sr. and Irene Catherine Turner. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was raised by his mother and her second husband, Joseph Alfred “Fred” Ruel. They moved to the neighboring town of Swansea, overlooking Narragansett Bay. His father, Edward Sr., was a milk tester prior to army service in World War II.

Growing up during the Great Depression, Lavagnino’s first paying job was harvesting quahogs along the beaches of the Bay, and by the time he entered junior-high school he had set up his first chemistry lab in a tiny closet at the back of the family’s stand-alone garage. His experimentations informed a quicksilver intellect, and he went on to graduate with a B.S. in Chemistry from the Bradford Durfee Technical Institute (now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) in 1952. At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he earned an M.S. in Chemistry and upon graduation in 1954 was hired by Eli Lilly in Indianapolis. There he met fellow Lilly employee, Mary Margaret “Peggy” Boren, whom he married May 10, 1958; they had four children. After retirement, he and his wife became “snowbirds,” spending winters in Apollo Beach, Florida.

Lavagnino’s storied career as a research chemist at Lilly mirrored the company’s corporate successes throughout the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s, with his name appearing on 14 chemical patents. His participation in the development of Prozac proved to be among the most significant pharmaceutical developments of the twentieth century.

But Lavagnino’s interests outside the laboratory were also wide-ranging. He was a life-long boater and sailor on Narragansett Bay, Lake Michigan, Tampa Bay, and as one of the earliest members of the Eagle Creek Sailing Club. He was an avid hiker, and as one of the top ten longest members of the Indianapolis Hiking Club, he led numerous hikes, including some in Florida, and hiked 3435 official Hiking Club Miles. He was also an adventurer, having visited every continent; ardent bird-watcher; and lover of a good joke.

Lavagnino was predeceased by his wife. He is survived by his four children, Tom Lavagnino (Hope Levy) of West Hollywood, CA; John Lavagnino (Reiko Takeda) of London, U.K.; Merri Beth Lavagnino (Peter Oleshchuk) of Indianapolis, IN; and James Lavagnino (Joanne Libfeld) of Chicago, IL; and grandchildren Oksana (Ben), Jeremy, John “Jack,” and Sam.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Gothic Chapel in Crown Hill Cemetery Wednesday, November 27, 2024. Reception from 2:30-3:30 pm; Ceremony at 3:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, tax-deductible gifts may be made to the college scholarship program at Lavagnino’s high school via the Case High Scholarship Trust, Inc., P.O. Box 33, Swansea, MA 02777.