Kenneth Roy Lagonia's Obituary
Kenneth Roy Lagonia of Cornelius, North Carolina passed away peacefully, surrounded by his entire family, on Monday, December 18, 2023.
Ken was born in August, 1951, in Manhattan, New York, to George William and Phyliss Herman Lagonia. He was raised in Bethpage, New York by Phyllis and Ken’s step-father, Ellis Remocker, whom Ken greatly loved and adored. Ken attended Island Trees High School in Levittown, New York, where he met the love of his life, Patricia (Hanrahan) Lagonia. In September, 1974, Ken and Pat married soon after graduating high school. They were married for over 48 years. Together, they had 3 children, all girls, Kari, Colleen and Catherine (Katie).
Ken was surrounded by his girls his entire life and loved every second of it. He was a quintessential “girl dad,” each of whom were his greatest life accomplishments, which became a realization to him toward the end of his life. Ken learned to love shopping, getting “mani-pedis,” gossiping and purchasing feminine products without hesitation. Although he would not admit it, he was not the type to know or care about sports. One of his girls’ favorite memories is the time they overheard him boastfully talking to a stranger about “that great New York Yankee, Derek ‘Jetta.’”
Ken was incredibly social and had an uncanny ability to find a connection and make friends with everyone he met. As a result, he naturally formed many lifelong friends, with whom he created great memories. Even in his final days, friends who Ken’s family had never met were rushing to the hospital to pay their respects and share stories about how Ken greatly impacted their lives. When Ken cared for someone, he cared deeply and was intentional about making sure that person knew how much he loved them.
Ken never encountered a hobby in which he did not obsessively engross himself. From his family’s back porch being covered in perfectly manicured bonsai trees, to cutting Disney character topiary trees, to woodworking, to flying model airplanes and drones, Ken always had a hobby of the month, which he delicately balanced between “mani-pedis” with his girls. Ken was also an avid traveler at one point in his life, having traveled to countries in nearly every continent.
Ken battled illness from a young age, which endured in various forms throughout his life. His family often joked that he had 9 lives. In September, 2023, Ken endured his final health battle, and there was uncertainty as to whether he would live. He nevertheless persevered a two-month hospital course and was given a new perspective on life. Ken recommitted himself to spending his remaining days with his most precious possessions, his family. Ken spent his final days surrounded by his family, during which he let each of them know just how much he loved them and made amends for past mistakes and broken relationships. On Sunday, December 17, 2023, Ken was afforded his last opportunity to speak to his girls, and the finality of that conversation was palpable only to him. He told his girls that it would be okay, and that he loved each of them dearly. Ken’s family will forever treasure the last few months of his life and the time they got to spend with him.
Although Ken will forever be missed by his loved ones, things that they will not miss include his obnoxious snoring on the couch drowning out the television, his constant shaking of ice in his frozen drinks, frequent sniffling, and endearingly, but cringeworthily, referring to his girls as “baby.” Even then, however, his family would happily endure those gripes to gain another day with him.
Ken now rests with our Lord and will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. He was, and will always be, beloved by all who were fortunate enough to know him. Ken was preceded in death by his father, George Lagonia, step-father, Ellis Remocker, and siblings, Lisa Lagonia and Angelo Lagonia. He is survived by his siblings, Robert Lagonia, George Lagonia and Mandy Jones; his life-long love, Patricia Lagonia; his daughters, Kari Dillon, Colleen Fitzgerald, and Catherine (Katie) Reynolds; his sons-in-law, Jason Dillon, Howard (Howie) Fitzgerald and Terence Reynolds; and his six “grandbabies,” whom he loved more than they will ever know, Madison and Ryan Bonnes, Patrick Fitzgerald, and Lola, Liam and Evie Reynolds.
A Roman Catholic funeral mass will be held for Ken at Saint Mark Catholic Church in Huntersville, North Carolina on Friday, January 5, 2024 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project in Ken’s honor.
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