In 1986 at the age of 30, while partnering Patricia McBride during a performance of Who Cares?, Lavery would suffer an injury that proved catastrophic.
Due to a then unknown tumor on his spine, this injury would cause Lavery extreme neurological damage which led to the end of his career as a dancer.
At the time Lavery carried a bulk of the repertory[2] at City Ballet, giving up to 8 performances a week during the company's season.
Despite lacking the proper finances to pay for his surgeries or rehabilitation, Lavery was supported emotionally and financially by the company and its Dancers' Emergency Fund[3] which was created by Jerome Robbins in 1980 specifically to assist dancers in the troupe waylaid by unexpected medical costs or personal losses.
Following his retirement Lavery moved to Palm Springs, California, where he died February 26, 2018, of natural causes.