Dear LMU Community:
I am saddened to share that Howard Lavick, retired associate professor of film and television production, passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer on Aug. 31, 2026, at Oregon Health Science University in Portland, surrounded by his immediate family. He was 79 years old.
Professor Lavick joined LMU in August 1984 and, over the course of a distinguished 31-year tenure, served the film program as associate professor, department chair, school director, acting dean, and interim associate dean. As a founding faculty member, he helped transform LMU’s film program from a department of 250 students into the nationally recognized School of Film and Television it is today. Professor Lavick retired in August 2015, leaving a legacy that continues to influence generations of students and faculty.
Before joining LMU, Professor Lavick served as a U.S. Army combat photographer from 1969-71 and a photojournalist for Stars and Stripes. His reporting on the 1971 South Vietnamese combat mission in Laos earned him the Bronze Star Medal, reflecting the courage and commitment to storytelling that would later define his teaching and creative work.
Professor Lavick was a guiding force behind the development of the SFTV International Documentary Program in Bonn, Germany. Over its 23-year history, the program has provided transformative global learning experiences and produced more than 350 documentaries filmed across the European Union, leaving an enduring impact on generations of student filmmakers. He was widely recognized for his humor, rapport, and mentorship of his students.
Beyond LMU, Professor Lavick built a dynamic career in the film and television industry, working on documentary films and as a producer/director. He also taught film classes at St. Mary’s High School in Medford, Oregon, and as an adjunct professor for digital cinema at Southern Oregon University.
Professor Lavick earned a B.A. in photojournalism from the University of Minnesota in 1968 and an M.F.A. in film production from the USC School of Cinema in 1977.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to the Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center – Mary and Dick Heimann Cancer Center, 3011 E. Barnett Road, Medford, OR 97504.
A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Mary’s School Chapel, 816 Black Oak Drive, Medford, OR, 97504, on Oct. 4, 2026, at 2 p.m. RSVP to agent_m@icloud.com or text 310.242.0519.
Please keep Howard, his wife, Michaela, their family, and his friends, colleagues, and former students in your thoughts and prayers.
With care,
Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
President and Professor