David W. Laughery passed from this life on Feb. 21, 2025, at age 80. He is survived by his loving wife and best friend of 55 years, Jerri Anne Garmhausen Laughery; son, Stephen (Gretel) Laughery, of Fredericksburg, PA; daughter, Jennifer Laughery, of Baltimore, MD; son, Christopher Laughery, of Fredericksburg, PA; and sister, Pam Venet, of Naples, FL. He was predeceased by his grandson, Adam Laughery. He was a member of the Mount Zion Road Church in Lebanon, PA.
Born in Philadelphia on Feb. 19, 1945, he was the son of the late William J. and Elaine Bretz Laughery. He retired from the Derry Township School District, where he taught for 40 years as a classroom and substitute teacher. He also taught courses at Central Penn College and Temple University.
David had master’s degrees from Penn State University in Education and American Studies and had a lifelong interest in the history of technology, especially electric transportation. He was a member of the Hershey Derry Township Historical Society and was active in the Friends of the Hershey Trolley. His large-scale models of Hershey Trolleys are on display in the Society’s collection and private collections and were described in a national model trolley publication. David wrote numerous articles for an Australian model railroading magazine. He was a part-time employee of the Palmyra Company Scale Model Railroads and worked on many model train layouts and museum displays throughout the Eastern United States. He also loved music and was an avid banjo and guitar player and teacher.
Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Kreamer & Lum Funeral Home & Crematory, Jonestown. There will be a viewing from 11 a.m. until the start of the service. Interment will follow at Wolf’s Union Meeting House Cemetery, Lebanon.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Mount Zion Road Church, 2087 Mount Zion Road, Lebanon, PA 17046.
