Hillsborough Community Remembers and Honors Master Corporal Brian LaVigne

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Master Corporal LaVigne’s visitation and funeral will take place today, Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at Idlewild Baptist Church located at 18333 Exciting Idlewild Boulevard in Lutz.

Both the visitation and service to honor the life of Master Corporal LaVigne will be open to the public.

Brian LaVigne’s daughter, Hillsborough County Deputy Caitlin LaVigne, said she grew up watching her father serve and wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“Even when I was a kid, I was going to be like Dad when I grew up,” said Dep. LaVigne. “There was no convincing me otherwise. No one even tried. I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to be a FTO (Field Training Officer) like him. He made Street Crimes, I wanted to be on Street Crimes, too. Whatever he did, I wanted to do. I wanted to do what he did for people. I wanted to make people feel like he made them feel. There’s no words to describe how much of a good influence he was on people.”

Sergeant Tim Sullivan has been with HCSO since 1999. MCpl. LaVigne was Sgt. Sullivan’s Field Training Deputy in 1999. Their professional relationship grew into a friendship over the years. MCpl. LaVigne even introduced Sgt. Sullivan to his wife.

MCpl. LaVigne was a man who had a fierce passion for teaching, loved his career as a public servant and above all else his family was his top priority.

“I’d say most of us make that mistake, we put this job first, no he didn’t,” said Sgt. Sullivan. 

Master Corporal LaVigne was 54 years old and joined the agency in 1990. He’s survived by his wife and two adult children.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Immediately following the service, guests will be directed outside the church for a special ceremony.

Following funeral services and outdoor tributes, a procession will take place from Idlewild Baptist Church to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office District V office, located at 10128 Windhorst Road in Tampa.

The procession will leave the church at about 12:45 p.m., and there will be rolling traffic delays on N Dale Mabry Highway, Bearss Avenue, I-275 N, I-4 E, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Falkenburg Road.

HCSO is asking any who wishes to pay their respects during the procession to do so from N Dale Mabry Highway, Bearss Avenue, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Falkenburg Road. The rolling traffic delays will take place from approximately 12:45 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.