Edward Lane Groff ’37

Enthusiastic alumnus and fire equipment expert Lane Groff has died. He first married Juanita Sikes in 1942 and had daughters Valerie in 1944 and Susan in 1946. His second wife was Maxine, and they had son Lane III in 1969.

At Lawrenceville, Lane was active in musical clubs. At Princeton, he majored in economics and was manager of the student milk agency, a cadet officer in the ROTC, and a member of Terrace Club.

His ROTC appointment in 1941 took him initially through 40 states and a hatful of Army camps before shipping out with a field artillery battalion on the western front in Europe. In battles in France and central Europe, he acted as forward observer with Patch's Seventh Army. He was awarded a Bronze Star for meritorious service and was discharged in 1945 as a first lieutenant.

Next came working as an industrial engineer for RCA Victor. In 1961 he formed the Carolina Fire Equipment Co., sold in 1966, and then was with Pyrene-C-O-Two as territory representative for fire equipment in four southern states. He also operated a fast-food operation in the Greenville area. Next came 21 years in the automobile- and truck-rental business and then back to Carolina Fire Equipment.

In 1958 he was president of the Princeton Alumni Assn. of South Carolina.

The Class of 1937