LaVon A. Granger

LaVon Adkins Granger, affectionately known as Ma LaVon, was born Lavonne Adkins on November 10, 1936, to William Adkins and Jesse Mae Reese in Memphis, TN, who both preceded her in death. Lavonne was a proud member of the Smith/Reese family line, who are relatives of Emmett Till.

Lavonne attended Booker T Washington High School in Memphis, but graduated from Woodstock School in Millington, TN, where she studied office sciences. She later used those skills to become a court reporter. She soon moved to Chicago where she met Arnold Pierce Jones, Jr. That union was blessed with one son, Douglas Allen Jones. LaVon spent most of her adult life residing in Los Angeles, California where she was not only a court reporter, but was an event planner and entertainment organizer. She worked for Jazz Saxophonist Cannonball Adderly and wife Olga, trumpeter Nat Adderly, singer Nancy Wilson and many other notable Hollywood Celebrities. She moved to San Fransisco, California in 1978 where she continued utilizing her craft as a court reporter. It was in the early 1970’s that Lavonne decided to change the spelling of her first name from L-a-v-o-n-n-e to L-a-V-o-n to better match the sassy, firecracker personality that was all her, and actually she believed it spelled wrong to begin with.

LaVon loved a good party and wanted to spread the fun! In 1975, LaVon founded an organization called Professional Entertainment for Prisoners. She and her best friend, Sandi Bass, traveled to prisons with many famous people and entertainers, including Dionne Warwick and George Foreman, where they put on shows to entertain prisoners around the country. Sandi handled the models and LaVon put on the entertainment. The prisoners loved it!! That endeavor lasted for two years and then, that dynamic duo traveled the world. When she wasn’t taking a court reporting job, those two traveled to places like Paris, Tokyo, London, Milan and Rome, just to name a few, and enjoyed fashion shows everywhere! She was also the Cruise Queen, cruising all around the world to places like the Bahamas, Jamaica, Cancun and many more.

When LaVon retired from her career as a court reporter, she settled down in Las Vegas, Nevada where she was an avid real estate investor and silent landlord. She even sold one of her properties to Mike Tyson’s family. She later moved to Naperville, Illinois to be closer to her granddaughters, Shana, Inez and Kia. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, who will miss her dearly. She was forever grateful for her main care givers, Kathy Higgins, Tasha Johnson, Debra Jones Muhammad and Aileen Johnson, as well as her dedicated nurses, Ella Mae, Juline and Nick. She enjoyed time spent with and appreciated others that helped with her care, especially in Illinois. She transitioned on September 21, 2024.

LaVon is survived by her brother, Dr. Bill Adkins (Linda), her son, Douglas Allen Jones (Marisol), granddaughters, Shana Jovonne Brown, Inez K. Jones, Kia Monique Rayford (Jabari), great grandchildren, Shavaun Amorae Rudolph, Danyaun Jadori Clayton, Bryshay Dior Nelson, Kendry Maurice Rayford, Ayah Inez Jones-Ray (plus another baby boy Rayford estimated to arrive January 2025); niece, Taihia L. Adkins and nephews, Dr. Ronne’ Adkins, Christopher Adkins and William Adkins III.

A visitation for LaVon will be held Monday, September 30, 2024 from 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM at Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N Arlington Heights Rd, Arlington Heights, IL 60004, with a chapel to immediately follow beginning at 1:oopm. Entombment at Memory Gardens Cemetery, 2501 East Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60004.

For those unable to attend, please join us via livestream by going to the link provided:

https://www.asimplestreaming.com/lgranger/