Donald Hart Lamore

Donald Hart Lamore passed away on Sunday, Oct. 23, in the comfort of his own home, at the age of 92. Born in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 15 1918, to Addie Allen Turnball, Canadian of Scottish and Irish origin and to Burton Hart Lamore, founder of the Federal Society of Translators to the League of Nations who was fluent in seven languages and translator of 17.

Donald Lamore participated in World War II from 1942 through 1945; he was in the U.S. Army 9th Infantry Division, Headquarters to the 7th Corps. He participated in operations in North Africa, Sicily and landed in Normandy at Utah beach.

Having studied French in high school before the war, he was eager to liberate Paris, but the American forces moved on to the battle of the Bulge leaving the liberation of the capitol to the French troops.

Upon returning to the United States he studied at the University of Maryland from 1945 to 1948 where he obtained his bachelors in arts degree in the First Honors Group, Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society. He was finally able to return to France, especially to at last see Paris and to study at the famous Sorbonne University where he met his future wife, Marie Berthe Leportois, who was at that time the assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and a specialist in insect biometry. She joined him at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where Donald Lamore continued his studies and they were married there on Aug. 5, 1950. They then moved to Washington, D.C., where their twin sons, Jean and Francois Lamore were born in 1952.

Donald Lamore taught biology and French at Bethesda Chevy Chase Senior High School until 1958 when the Lamore family moved to Nevada, Mo., where Doctor Dowe, President of Cottey College invited Donald Lamore to teach biology, zoology and botany.

In 1959, Donald and Marie Lamore began both teaching French at Cottey College where they jointly developed the language laboratory.

In 1968, Donald Lamore received his doctorate degree in linguistics for his thesis on the literary images in the writings of the famous French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. Ever since then, Doctor Lamore's remarkable study has been abundantly cited by scholars from Russia to France.

In 1977, Marie Lamore also received her doctorate degree attributed by the College of Letters and Human Sciences at the University of Aix-en-Provence, France for her thesis "Lecture et Signification" on translation and linguistics. During the '70s, Donald Lamore was the chairman of the Faculty Council for Cottey College. In 1977, Donald and Marie Lamore were responsible for initiating together the prestigious exchange program between Cottey College and the famous Maison d'Education de la Legion d'Honneur, (an elite school founded by Napoleon). This remarkable international exchange program continues today, bringing from two to three French Honors' students to study at Cottey College every academic year.

From 1981 to 1982 Donald and Marie Lamore extensively travelled the four-state area to develop a program to reward regional high school students for their achievements in French classes. During this period Doctor Lamore also organized a language seminar with the Institute for American Universities at Aix-en-Provence, France. Donald and Marie were both members of the Association for Disabled Veterans, State of Missouri executive committee, the American Association of University Professors and the Foreign Language Association of Missouri. The Lamores both retired from Cottey College in 1982 with the distinction of Professor Emeritus. During the '80s and '90s, while maintaining relations with the Cottey community, they frequently visited with their sons and their families established in France.

Since Mrs. Marie Lamore passed away in December of 2007, both sons returned to Nevada more regularly to visit with their father. They wish to emphasize that they know of no finer a community and are thankful for the care and loving attention that their father received at home in Nevada.

His remarkable memory and his ability to imitate the calls of Vernon County birds and those from far beyond, continued to impress those who knew Doctor Donald Lamore.

He is survived by his two sons, Jean and Francois Lamore, and his grandchildren: Uele Hart Lamore, Orfeo Rafaelo Lamore, and Burton Hart Lamore.

A funeral mass will be held Saturday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m., at St. Mary's Church, in Nevada with the Rev. Tom Albers officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Cottey College for the Marie and Don Lamore French Scholarship.

Funeral arrangements provided by Ferry Funeral Home, Nevada.

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