Wilbur Lance (Lanny) Croom Jr. of Angier, passed away on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 at Rex Hospital in Raleigh surrounded by his loving family.

Born June 24, 1942 in Chester, S.C., he was the son of the late Wilbur Lance Croom Sr. of Rocky Point, N.C. and Catherine Britt Murray Croom of Burgaw.

He attended Rose High School in Greenville, N.C. and Burgaw High School before joining the Coast Guard in 1960. He was stationed at Fort Macon, N.C., Portsmouth, Va., Cape May, N.J. and Bermuda.

While assigned to the USCG Cutter Chilula (WMEC-153), Lanny was a member of the crew that battled an explosion and fire aboard the tanker USNS Potomac on September 26, 1961 near Radio Island at the State Port in Morehead City.  During the Ash Wednesday Storm of March 6, 1962, he was part of a rescue team that battled 40-foot seas to rescue a stranded freighter and its crew. He also served aboard the buoy tender USCG Jonquil (WAGL-330).

After serving in the US Coast Guard, he worked for General Electric Nuclear Division in Wilmington for 32 years. He holds three U.S. Patents in Washington D.C. for nuclear fuel rod assembly equipment that he helped design.

A true waterman, Lanny shared his deep love of the ocean, sounds, lakes and rivers as he boated, fished, skied, sailed, flounder-gigged and crabbed all his life with family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Phyllis Wells Croom; his sister Catherine Ann Croom Morgan; his daughter Jennifer Allison Croom and her fiancé Joe Zaremski; his daughter Claudia Croom Cole and her husband Stan Cole, his beloved grandchildren Catherine Reeves Cole and Oliver Elliott Cole and three precious "granddogs."

A celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, April 9, 2018 at Harrell's Funeral Home Chapel, 212 S. Dickerson Street in Burgaw. The family will receive visitors at Harrell's on Sunday, April 8 from 4:00-6:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (michaeljfox.org) or a charity of choice.