* Floyd LaVern Singer; Retired College Teacher

Floyd LaVern Singer, a retired teacher and a former artist and a prisoner of war during World War II, has died at the age of 80.

Singer, who died Tuesday at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, was born March 19, 1920, in Streator, Ill., and was adopted by James and Rachel Singer. When he was 12, the family moved to Anaheim.

He joined the National Guard at the age of 14 and four years later enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was a member of the 7th Material Squadron, 19th Bomb Group for the Air Force during World War II.

Stationed on Bataan, he was captured by the Japanese and was a prisoner of war from April 1942 to September 1945. While he was a prisoner, he worked as a coal miner and farmer and participated in the infamous Bataan Death March.

After his release, he worked as an artist for Walt Disney Studios, working on the original “Fantasia” and “Song of the South.” He also spent a year studying makeup and hairstyling for the motion picture industry and during that time met his future wife, Claire Louise.

He reenlisted in the Air Force when Disney Studios closed down for six months and was immediately sent to Germany during the Berlin Airlift.

He returned to March Air Force Base in California in 1950, where he edited the base newspaper.

He and his wife, who were married in 1951, were then sent to England, where they lived for six years and where he worked as an intelligence operations technician. He retired after 21 years of service.

Singer received his master’s degree in political science in 1961, then began working on his doctorate at UCLA. He was then called to the Naval Ordnance Test Station in China Lake, where he worked for two years.

In 1965, he began teaching at Ventura College, in a career that lasted 32 years before he retired. Family members said he felt that the greatest success and enjoyment in his lifetime came from teaching and interacting with students and staff at Ventura College.

In addition to his wife of 49 years, he is survived by daughter Lynn Shuler of Ventura; sons Geoffrey of Carlsbad, and Wayne of El Monte; four grandsons and one great granddaughter.

A memorial service is scheduled at 11 a.m. Monday at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park. He will be buried with full military honors.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in his memory to the Ventura College Foundation Floyd Singer Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of Gary Johnson at Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA 93003.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Charles Carroll Funeral Home in Ventura.