LaVonne Rae Andrews took her final Curtain Call on December 30, 2018 after a short and courageous battle with cancer. She was immensely loved and respected for her authentic and generous soul. A gifted singer and actress; she had boundless energy and love for her family and friends.
LaVonne was born on July 2, in Seattle, Washington. She was the third child of seven whose father was Ernst Neligan and mother, Irene North Neligan who called LaVonne her “premature firecracker” because she was born two days before Independence Day.
At the early age of three, LaVonne was cast by a neighbor, a television producer, who was seeking a small child to play the part of a baby in a crib. He encouraged her to suck her thumb. When she fibbed and said she didn’t suck her thumb anymore, the producer responded, “It’s okay; it’s called acting.” LaVonne remembers thinking, “Oh I can suck my thumb and get away with it? I like this thing called acting!”
That led to several acting roles including at age eleven, singing the title role of “Amahl” in “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” for the Thaila Opera Company, later known as the Seattle Opera Company. For the role, they cut her long hair to look like a boy. She didn’t mind and quipped, “It’s okay, my hair will grow.”
After acting for The Boards Theatre in West Seattle she moved to the Monterey Peninsula. She was active in The Naval Postgraduate Theatre, doing makeup and hair, and acted in several plays concluding with “Eliza” in “My Fair Lady.” She played literally hundreds of parts through the years from an Asian Geisha in “Roshoman” to the British “First Wife to the King” in the musical “The King and I” in which all four of her children were cast.
She owned “Salon de LaVonne” in Carmel, CA. for twenty-one years, before moving to Hollywood for a professional acting career.
LaVonne was delighted to return to the Monterey Peninsula in 2017 to play “Mother Superior” in the Pacific Repertory Theatre production of “Sister Act” at the Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel.
LaVonne became an Ordained Minister with Centers for Spiritual Living. She was an assistant minister at North Hollywood Church, Co-Minister with her husband, Dr. Don Welsh at the Antelope Valley Center for Spiritual Living in Lancaster, CA., Co-Minister in Templeton, CA. Her ministerial career concluded as Sr. Minister with Dr Don at the Inland Empire Center for Spiritual Living in San Bernardino, CA. She wrote a weekly column for five years for two newspapers and a book, “Divine Dialogues“ with Dr. Don.
A member of the Tlingit Tribe-Raven Clan, LaVonne was extremely proud of her work in supporting her Native American community in the entertainment industry.
She played in several movies, acted in commercials and played leading parts in plays performed by Native Voices at the Autry in Los Angeles, which is one of her favorite venues. Highlights are “Teaching Disco Square-Dancing to the Elders,” “Stand-off at Hwy #37,” which also toured in Vermilion, South Dakota and “Bingo Hall.” LaVonne also recently wrote short plays entitled “Toypurina: A Legend Gone Wrong” performed at “Hispanicize” in L.A. and “That Sounds Fishy,” a comedic reading for the “Short Play Festival” performed at the Autry.
She was also in “Pipeline” with Wes Studi, and just finished “Christmas in Ochepee,” which was filmed in the Florida Everglades. At the Mark Taper in L.A. she played in “Palestine, New Mexico” with Native American activist Russell Means playing the Chief. She also played the lead in “Dust Eaters” at the Salt Lake City Acting Company.
Her television credits include speaking roles in “VEEP,” “Banshee,” “The Millers,” “Days of Our Lives” and “Westworld." Her national commercials include Sears, Luna Bar and CareMore.
LaVonne goes out at the top of her game, choosing to move on to that beautiful place she saw so many years ago in a “near-death experience.” Although she will be greatly missed by all who knew her “fire-cracker” personality, as she said, “Pure love never dies.” She leaves behind her husband, Dr. Don Welsh, four children Reena Jones, Larrin Andrews, Donelle Ledo, Brandyn Andrews and eight grandchildren.