Terry Dewayne Langham

Terry Dewayne Langham, 80, passed away peacefully into the arms of his savior on Thursday, June 7, 2018 at his Los Alamos home with his wife, Clarice, by his side. He was born on September 20, 1937 in Frederick, Oklahoma to Lela Mary and Marvin Wesley Langham. Terry was preceded in death by his father, Marvin Langham; his mother, Lela Langham and his stepmother, Maureen Langham. As a child, Terry spent time in Frederick, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Brownwood, Texas. In 1949, at the age of twelve, he moved with his parents and little brother, Taylor, to Los Alamos, New Mexico when it was still a closed city. From that time on, Terry made Los Alamos his home. He was a 1955 graduate of Los Alamos High School and while in high school, fell in love with drama and took great joy in acting. Terry married Marjorie Mae Thompson in Los Alamos and they had two sons, Sean Robert Langham and Ian Douglas Langham. Terry was first employed by Zia Corporation and then moved to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, from which he retired after 36 years. He served in many capacities throughout his career at the Lab and enjoyed it greatly. Terry was a very active member of The United Church of Los Alamos for over 40 years. He took great joy in participating and supporting their youth program and their yearly youth mission trips to build homes for those in great need in Mexico for many years. Terry was also a talented puppeteer and served on the church’s Marionette team and puppet ministry. Throughout his life, Terry was very involved in the Los Alamos community. He was a Mason and active board member for the Los Alamos Parks and Recreation Board. He could be seen officiating various runs and walks throughout Los Alamos, as well as other volunteer activities. Terry loved to act and sing. For much of his life, Terry was a frequent participant of many choral performances and play productions at the Los Alamos Performing Arts Center. He was a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and was very active in the Los Alamos Chorale Society, the “Lads of Enchantment” Barbershop Quartet and The Los Alamos New Mexico Barbershop Chorus. Terry had a true desire to “Keep The Whole World Singing.” Terry was very creative and enjoyed many hobbies such as drawing, flying, jewelry making, motorcycle riding, puppet making and sailing. He especially enjoyed many sailing hours on Lake Heron in his beloved 23-Foot cabin sailboat, Gatita. On January 26, 2017, Terry married his love of over 40 years, Clarice Cox. They spent their remaining time taking daily walks around Ashley Pond, visiting with their friends at the Los Alamos Senior Center and at Starbucks, and just enjoying time together. Throughout Terry’s final days, he and Clarice spent their time holding hands, telling their love for each other and singing their favorite songs. Terry is survived by his wife, Clarice Cox; his brother, Paschal Taylor Langham and wife, Christa, of Offenbach, Germany; his stepbrother, Ben Pilcher and wife, Melissa, of Georgetown, Texas; his stepsister, Jeanette Praetorius and husband, Walt, of Littleton, Colorado; his sons, Sean Robert Langham and wife, Gina and Ian Douglas Langham and wife, Melissa;  granddaughter, Victoria, of Providence Village, Texas; step granddaughter, Sequoia, of Las Animas, Colorado; stepson, Charley Cox and wife, Anna; their children, Brian and Maya of Berkley, California and stepson, Ed Cox and wife, Phyllis, of Sacramento, California. A Celebration of Life service will be held in Terry’s honor at The United Church of Los Alamos, Saturday, August 25th, at 2:00 p.m., in the sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Youth Ministry Program or the Mexico Missions program at The United Church of Los Alamos. The family of Terry Dewayne Langham has entrusted the care of their loved one to the DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Española Valley.

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