Trent Lane dies at 101; masters thrower never made it to worlds
Trent Lane in 2006.
Here’s the obituary, in case the link goes south:
Trent Lane, born in Lane Hollow, Sevier County, Tenn., and a 75-year resident of Baker, passed away at home Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011. He was born March 28, 1910, son of the late James H. and Olive Sandra Hill Lane. He was married to and divorced from Elizabeth Anna Lambert of Garyville. He was preceded in death by a son, Barrie Lloyd; brothers, Sylvan, Eugene, and Lloyd; sister, Mildred Lane Connatser; and great-grandson, Christian Lane. Survived by his sons, Eric and wife Chantana, of Chattanooga, Tenn., Carson and wife Martha, of Lafayette, and Mark and wife Royann, of Clinton; daughter, Ruth Vanderford, of Lemon Grove, Calif.; sisters, Ita Grace Yingst and Ina Lane, both of Pigeon Forge; grandchildren, Carmen Kifer, of Gunpowder, Md., Vivian Smith, of Locust Grove, Ga., Sherill Renfroe, of Baker, Mike Lane, of Centreville, Miss., Karen Ammons, of Baton Rouge, Luke Gorman, of Grapevine, Texas, Sandra Ingersoll, of Redding, Calif., Robin Fuller, of Las Vegas, Miracle Lane and Madonna Lane, both of Clinton, Melissa Lane, of Hammond, and Richard Lane, of Baton Rouge; and numerous great-grandchildren.
He was 101 1/2 and a local centenarian icon. He played guitar and taught in a one-room school house (grades 1 through 8) as a young man in the hills of Sevier County. He graduated from Sevier County High School, Sevierville, Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tenn., and LSU, Baton Rouge. He flew his Luscombe two-seater airplane in the Civil Air Patrol, a wing of the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He was a retired physical chemist with ESSO, forerunner of ExxonMobil.
After retirement, he was a financial analyst then a physics student at LSU. He submitted his doctorate thesis in 2002. He farmed and mowed his 25 acre farm including the runway next to his house until a few weeks before his death.
Beginning at age 95, he competed in Senior Masters, USA Track & Field and Senior Olympics field events – discus, shot put, javelin, weight and weight pentathlon – winning more than 200 gold medals in his age group and holding 17 world records that still stand.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Charles Thompson, Lane Regional Medical Center, Lane Home Health and Generations Hospice for their compassion and care. Visitation will be at Baker Funeral Home on Tuesday, Oct. 25, from 5-7pm, and on Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 9am until a celebration of life at 10am. Interment in St. Isidore Catholic Church Cemetery, next to his son, Barrie. Reception will be at St. Isidore Hall following burial.
8 Responses
wow…what a guy…what a life…! surely an example for all of us…at 101 there need not be condolences, but thanks… for being a part of masters track and field among many other things…may god bless his family and all who have had the pleasure of reading his story…!
Not only a terrific athlete but a scholar as well. If he submitted his PhD thesis in 2002, he would have been 92 at the time. An inspiration on many counts.
Trent lived a very full life and interesting life. It is amazing that he took up Masters track at age 95. Sometimes when I feel a bit down about getting older, I look at people like Trent and Ralph Maxwell and realize that old is really something in your mind because if people 90+ and 100+ are still running and jumping around, I need to get up and get moving like these young old guys.
RIP Trent.
I saw “Mr. Trent” at a number of meets in Louisiana over the years. He was always smiling seemed such a gentle man. Some of the athletes such as Vincent Breaux from Lafayette kept an eye on him to help protect him from getting injured, especially as he made his way toward and into the 100s.
I was tickled once when Dan Ursery, a masters athlete from N Lousiana, was speaking with “Mr trent and found out he still flew a plane to some of the meets. Dan said, “Mr Trent, someday I’d like to go up in the plane with you.” After Trent Lane said that would be fine, one could see the wheels starting to turn in Dan’s head. He just realized he’d volunteered to go flying with a pilot in his mid to late 90s. He then blurted out his admended proposal, “You wouldn’t mind if I took a parachute with me, would you.” Everyone laughed, including “Mr Trent” who seemed to have a very good sense of humor.
I had the pleasure of throwing with him at the Louisiana Senior Games in 2010. I was an out-of-stater, and he was extremely kind and welcoming. One could not help but admire how adults and children were drawn to him. Conversation and photo ops always followed. He had the funniest stories and always thoughts about throwing techniques. But it was when he was asked about his family – expecially the great-grandchildren – that his eyes took on a special light. I wish his family well. A true gentleman, he remains the iconic ambassador for the sport he loved and the people of Louisiana.
Rest easy, Mr. Lane. You will be missed.
Like Robert Baker, I saw Mr. Trent at a number of Senior Olympics and Masters meets around Louisiana the last few years. I believe he was still throwing around 60 feet in the javelin and discus as recently as 2004/2005. I last saw him in Houston in June at the National Senior Olympics. He and another gentleman about 97 were allowed to throw the javelin early in the morning with us youngsters (65-69 group) so they wouldn’t have to throw in the afternoon heat. As always, Mr. Trent was a consummate gentleman and gave me his usual firm handshake. A real inspiration to all Masters’ athletes.
I ran across a photo of Trent Lane from the North Carolina Nationals. He was 97 at the time. I was impressed by how well he moved during the throws. He threw about 75 feet in the discus and looked good doing it. He was still flying an airplane at age 97.
Recent studies suggest the importance of explosive exercise for maintaining neuromuscular health. Track and field, particularly the field events, prevent deterioration of fast twitch motor units. Master’s track is good for us.
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