Funeral held for Steven LaVoie, CEO shot in Loop office building

LAGRANGE, Ill. (WLS) -- A funeral was held Saturday for Stephen LaVoie, the tech company CEO who died October 13 from injuries he sustained two months ago when he was shot in a Loop office building by a disgruntled employee.

The red ribbons placed in support of LaVoie now pay tribute to his memory.

"In his last days, I was a volunteer and sort of saw the family coming in," said LaGrange Hospital volunteer Judy Knudson. "How very special. They came to visit him and I was there that Monday morning when they left."

Saturday morning, many of the steady stream of mourners quietly left the First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange, where the private service for LaVoie was held.

Before the eulogy set a tone of forgiveness, relatives and close friends shared remembrances of LaVoie as a loving husband and friend.

"My favorite comment from his cousin was that he would feel sad for us for our pain more than he would feel sad for himself," said Yale classmate Ann Manikas. "That's truly what he was like as a man, so he'll be missed."

Although there had been recent reports that Lavoie's condition was improving, he died in the hospital this week after a lengthy struggle to recover.

The Arrowstream CEO was shot twice by co-worker and friend Anthony DeFrances on July 31. The disgruntled employee then killed himself.

Police say the 59-year-old ex-chief technology officer who joined the company when it was created in 2000 was despondent following his demotion after the fast food logistics company began downsizing.

A father of three daughters, LaVoie was a California native who attended both the University of California at Berkeley and the Yale School of Management. He received numerous honors and awards and worked with several charities.

"If you had been there you would have heard from family and friends the powerful impact he had," said friend Sidney Weisman.