MORGAN PARK — Joe and Eileen Lavoie moved out of Morgan Park nearly seven years ago, but a strong support network remained on the Far Southwest Side.
The group that stretches from Christ the King Parish in North Beverly to St. Cajetan Parish in Morgan Park will host a benefit for the family of the late Eileen Joyce Lavoie from 3-8 p.m. Saturday at 115 Bourbon Street in southwest suburban Merrionette Park, 3359 W. 115th St.
The benefit is to raise money for the education expenses of Joe and Eileen Lavoie's four children — Olivia, 15, Claire, 12, Leo, 10, and Brian, 9.
Eileen Lavoie died last April 6, just five months after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in her liver and lungs. She left a legacy that included stints as a lifeguard, an advocate for indigent seniors, a stay-at-home mom and a special education teacher, said Erin Joyce, Eileen's older sister.
"Caring for people — that is what she did," said Joyce, a West Beverly resident.
Her sister and her family lived in Morgan Park until about 2009. The Lavoies were living near St. Cajetan, in the neighborhood where Joe Lavoie was raised. They later moved to St. John, Ind.
The Joyce family was raised in North Beverly and included seven siblings — "six girls and one Irish prince," said Joyce, describing her family and its roots at Christ the King.
The Joyce family were all swimmers and later several worked as lifeguards for the Chicago Park District, including Eileen. Erin Joyce now serves as park supervisor at Mann Park in Hegewisch.
Eileen Lavoie graduated from Morgan Park High School and went to Loyola University in Edgewater. She used the money she earned as a lifeguard to pay for school, Joyce said.
Eileen Lavoie began working for the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian after graduation and would check in on seniors who had become wards of the state — taking them to appointments with doctors and even helping them move to Florida, Joyce said.
"Her friends just expanded," her sister said.
Joe Lavoie works for the CTA. The couple planned on Eileen returning to work when their youngest child was in school full time. Her salary was meant to be squirreled away for future education expenses, Erin Joyce said.
"They had their plan," she said.
Only the plan never materialized after Eileen Joyce's sudden death. Family and friends from the neighborhood have chosen to step up in the wake of the tragedy and help fulfill Eileen and Joe Lavoie's dream for their kids, Erin Joyce said.
And while she believes her sister will be there in spirit, she wouldn't be surprised if Eileen Lavoie is a bit late. After all, the Lavoie family is known for running behind schedule, she said.
In fact, the hosts of family parties would often tell Eileen Lavoie that get-togethers started an hour earlier than they actually did. This little ploy was one of the few ways to trick her sister's family into showing up on time.
"Eileen and Joe have been affectionately dubbed La-La Lavoies," she said.
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