Opal Laven

Opal “Skip” Laven, of El Paso, Texas, passed away Jan. 10, 2014. Born in Ionia, Mich., in 1923, to Albert Luther and Grace Switzer, she served as a WAVE in the US Navy during WWII. In 1958, she married Philip Joseph Laven and raised their family in Chicago, Ill. In 1985, she and Phil moved to El Paso where they began the Laven Publishing Group and became the publisher of the Fort Bliss Monitor newspaper, Fort Bliss Directory and Map, various local/state magazines and the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce newsletter. Skip served as president of Laven Publishing from 1989 through 2013. Under Skip’s hard-working leadership and sales prowess, The Monitor was named best newspaper in the US Army and in the Department of Defense many times and became one of the largest military newspapers in the country. Skip served as president of the Business and Professional Women of El Paso (BPW) in the mid 80s and was a member of the Women’s Department of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. She was also an avid Bridge player. She is survived by her children Susan Frances Laven and Michael Joseph Laven, daughter-in-law Regina Baker Laven, grandchildren Audrina Lynn Laven and Phillip Kent Laven, all of El Paso, as well as her nephew Doug Dreger, and nieces Sheri and Debbie Dreger, of Los Gatos, Calif., and Patty Miller, of Phoenix, Ariz. She is preceded in death by her husband Phil and her son Kent Philip Laven. A celebration of life will be held at Martin Funeral Home - Central (3839 Montana Ave.) on Friday, Jan. 24, 2014, from 6 to 7 p.m. Please visit our online register book at www.sunsetfuneralhomes.net