Stop Medicaid fraud
March 29, 2016
Faye Pizani
March 30, 2016
On his driver’s license, his name was Michael St. Pierre.
But to the folks who live in the marshy plains of south Lafourche Parish, he was known simply as Possum – the fun-loving chap who loved to laugh, but who always did anything he could to help those in need.
A retired custodian in the Lafourche Parish School System, Possum died on March 15 after battling pneumonia and other illnesses. He was 67.
He is survived by Louise St. Pierre, his wife of 45 years. Together, they had two sons – Scott and Michael Wayne, who preceded his father in death many years ago.
“My dad never too life too seriously,” Scott said. “He made his long work days look so easy. He never complained and would do his best to make the best out of any situation. … He was just a big kid trying his best to raise a family by any means necessary.”
Helping others always was a big piece of Possum’s heart.
It’s actually the reason why he earned his unique nickname.
As a child, young Michael’s family didn’t have much money, so he would often run errands for the elderly in his neighborhood as a way to have some loose change to buy candy.
But one gentleman on the route had a habit of never tipping Michael for his work. So he got the idea one day to bypass his house by walking through his cornfield.
When he did, Possum was born.
“As he was passing the house that belonged to the old man, he tripped and fell, which made a terrible noise in the dry cornfield,” Louise said with a laugh. “The old man jumped from his chair on the porch and yelled, ‘Come out of there, you old possum.’ [Michael] got out of the field, got the man’s order and then went to the store.
“The nickname stuck with him the rest of his life.”
Possum met Louise when the two were in junior high. They married shortly after high school.
They were always together – literally.
They both worked in the school system. They often worked side-by-side to get their daily work done.
For a lot of married couples, that arrangement wouldn’t work. But it never was an issue for Possum and Louise.
“We worked fine together,” the wife said. “We always helped each other.”
To make some extra cash, Possum and Louise almost always volunteered for after-hour jobs. They became fixtures at South Lafourche High School sporting events for passing out tickets at the door to the paid customers.
A lot of times, they were the last ones to leave, as well – often staying behind after the game to help tidy the gym or ball field.
The diligence and commitment to providing for his family was never lost on Scott, who said it’s something he’ll always admire about his dad.
“My brother and I both had childhood illnesses,” Scott said. “He had scoliosis, and we both had really bad asthma. We always had hospital bills piling up. On a maintenance worker’s salary, I can imagine how hard it was to help with the bills. … He worked his share of 14-hour work days to make sure we had food on the table, clothes on our backs and the proper medicine.
“No job was menial to my parents.”
When not on the clock, Possum’s personality was able to be at its brightest.
Louise said her husband loved traveling and seeing places. Possum was that rare individual who could find someone he recognized in any walk of life.
“We were in Jamaica once, and he knew someone there,” Louise said with a laugh. “He knew someone no matter where we went. He loved to interact with people.”
Scott said one of his favorite past times with his dad was bringing him to eat out in New Orleans – something that Possum loved doing.
He especially loved to try out spots for the first time, and he was never afraid to test even the most exotic places and dishes.
“It was funny seeing an old Cajun trying all these new foods,” Scott said. “Some he loved, some he didn’t. His favorite place to eat in New Orleans was Company Burger. That was always his first request when they’d drive up to the city to eat out.”
Scott said his dad loved doing that so much because it fed his ultimate passion, which was living free and passing a good time.
That good-natured spirit is what Scott said he will remember most about his dad – his ability to always make the best of every situation, and have fun doing it.
Louise agreed, and said that Possum had a rare ability to be upbeat and strong, even in his darkest moments.
When the couple’s son Michael Wayne St. Pierre died in 2007, Louise said it was Possum’s strength that kept the couple afloat.
In his final days on earth, and with sickness poisoning his body, Possum still had a rare way to keep his cool.
“His last words were, ‘What you want ‘ta do? It is as it is,’” Louise remembered. “He then said, ‘I love you.’ Possum always took life as it was and never expected more.
“That’s just who he was.”•
His name was Michael St. Pierre, but most people knew him as ‘Possum,’ the nickname that he had for most of his life. Relatives said that Possum was a fun-spirited man who loved sports and to spend time with family and friends.
