Bernard William Lorence, age 96, of White Plains, MD died on January 20, 2015 at the University of MD Charles Regional Medical Center in La Plata, MD.

Mr. Lorence was a Veteran of the United States Army, having served during World War II and fought in Normandy as a BAR Machine Gunner where he was wounded and received the Purple Heart and the French Legion of Honor Medal. Upon his return to the States, he went to work for the Department of Defense as a cabinet maker for 36 years.

He loved pigeon racing, fishing, hunting, and farming. He was a former Little League baseball coach and he was season ticket holder with the Southern MD Blue Crabs baseball team since opening game. He was most known as a great dad.

He is the son of the late Antonio Lorence and the late Mary Shymansky Lorence. He is also predeceased by his wife, Sara Custus Lorence. He is survived by his sons, Bernie Lorence and his wife Margaret and Larry Lorence and his close friend, Rosie Nelson; his brothers, Frank, Andrew, Floyd, Stanley, Joseph, Jacob, John, and Willie; his sisters, Mary, Edna, Lucille, Mamie, Katherine, and Evelyn; his grandchildren, Jennifer Garolao and her husband Nick, Jeffrey and Bobby Lorence and his fiancé, Krystal Gordon, and Misty Bacchus and her husband, Stephen; and his great-grandchildren, Stephanie and Nickolas Garofalo, Ashlynn and Ayden Lorence, Alexiya and Austin Bacchus, and Blake Lorence.

Friends were received on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 from 5-8PM with Prayer Service at 7PM at the Raymond Funeral Service Chapel in La Plata, MD. Interment with Army Honors on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 10:45 AM at the MD Veterans Cemetery, 11301 Crain Highway, Cheltenham, MD 20623. Arrangements provided by Raymond Funeral Service.