Former NSU administrator passes away at 72

Ridley Joseph Gros, a former dean and vice president at Nicholls State University and an active and distinguished member of the community, passed away Friday at 72 years old.

A native of Donaldsonville and resident of Thibodaux, Gros was born in Klotzville. Associates remember him as a congenial, sincere and civic-minded person who loved his family and stayed active.

Gros’ 36-year career at Nicholls included two stints as dean of the College of Business and one as vice president. During his tenures as dean, Nicholls’ business college received its initial accreditation by the AACSB and two reaffirmations.

Upon his retirement in 2002, he was named dean emeritus. He resumed the deanship one year later to help guide the college through the accreditation process, according to an archived report by the Nicholls Worth.

A 42-year member and Paul Harris Fellow of the Thibodaux Rotary Club, Gros never missed a meeting.

“He had perfect attendance longer than some of our members have been alive … He showed them what the gold standard really is in terms of participation,” said Thibodaux Rotary President Bryce Ledet. “Dr. Gros was very well respected.”

Gros was also a former president of the Rotary Club, the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce and the Southwestern Deans Association.

“He was the most down-to-Earth, thoughtful, jovial person that you’d ever want to meet,” said Kathy Benoit, president of the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce and a fellow Rotarian. “I don’t think he ever had a bad day in his life. … He just had a passion for living.”

Gros was honored throughout the community, receiving the Distinguished Service Award from the Nicholls Alumni Federation, the Frank Kennedy Citizen of the Year Award from the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce, the Liftetime Achievement Award from the Federation of Business Disciplines and the Bishop’s Medal for service to the church from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

Gros also served on the board of directors of Assumption Bank, LAT Workforce Investment and the South Louisiana Economic Council. He was a member of the AACSB National Accreditation Team.

With SLEC, Gros served on the board of directors from its inception. He was also its inaugural director. Vic Lafont, the council’s executive director and the board’s president and CEO, first met Gros when Lafont was a student in Nicholls’ business college.

“You know how you’ve got some guys who you can talk to and they can tell you plenty of what not to do?” Lafont asked, “Well, there’s just a handful of them that you can go to and they tell you what to do in situations. That’s what he was. That’s what he was. … He was a mentor, and he was a friend.”

A former president of the Southwestern Federation of Administrative Disciplines, which represents about 3,000 higher-education business professors across eight states, Gros penned roughly 20 articles about regional economics and business communication.

In addition to his academic acumen, he was equally valuable for his practical experience and was a respected voice with industries’ leaders, Lafont said.

“We lost a big one,” he said.

Family members remember Gros, described as a wine connoisseur, for the gourmet meals he prepared for his family and friends. He spent his retirement gardening and enjoying his backyard.

Gros is survived by his wife of 49 years, Kathleen Dolese, of Thibodaux, and four daughters – Felia Cowen, Gabrielle Erny, Monique Callagy and Mignonne Claire Gros – eight grandchildren and his brother Marvin Gros.

His parents Ridley John Gros and Ezal Marie Daigle Gros, both of Donaldsonville, preceded him in death.

A funeral mass was held Tuesday at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral.

Ridley Gros