Houma woman loved life, displayed vibrant personality

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
February 25, 2016
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
March 3, 2016
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
February 25, 2016
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
March 3, 2016

Galliano native Rona Delatte was the type of person that just couldn’t rest unless everyone around her was having a good time.

It didn’t matter if she had to be the butt of the joke, as long as everyone was laughing, Rona was OK.

“Anyone can tell you that she was always the life of the party. I’d be lying if I said that she didn’t embarrass me half of the time that we were together,” daughter Shantelle St. Pierre Danos said with a laugh. “She was very laid back and was always having a good time. … She definitely taught me to lighten up a bit.”


But when it was time to be serious, Rona could do exactly that – especially when it meant providing love or support for her family.

Rona was a hard worker and loving mother. She had two kids early in life, which made her a grandmother younger than she ever thought she would be.

Not wanting to “feel old,” she demanded her grandbabies call her MiMi – the name that she carried until her final days on earth.


Delatte died during the Mardi Gras holiday after she was hit by a vehicle while attempting to cross the road.

She was 46.

Now a few weeks removed from the accident, Rona’s family members are remembering the woman for the wonderful life she lived.


Gone too soon, yes. But those around Rona all talk about the remarkable impact she made on her loved ones.

“Mom always had a good time no matter where she went or who she was with,” Shantelle said. “All she ever wanted was those around her to have a great time, too. … She was absolutely amazing.”

Becoming a mother was something that Rona did for the majority of her life.


She had two kids – Shantelle and Lionelle Cheramie – early in life. The pregnancies and the grind of being a single mom forced her to drop out of high school before graduation. But Shantelle said her mom was never one to stay down for long. The daughter said she remembers seeing her mom walk across the stage in 1994 after going back to school to earn her GED.

“She was very driven and determined,” Shantelle said. “Family meant everything to her. She always said she wanted more for us than what she had growing up. It’s not that her life was bad, but she just felt that you should strive to do more for your children.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but I know now for sure that Mom definitely went without things to make sure Lionelle and I had the best of everything.”


That same selfless approach went for anyone that Rona came in contact with.

Shantelle said her mom was the most selfless person she ever knew – the type of woman who would give you the shirt off her back.

After news broke of her passing, hundreds of Facebook messages were posted on the family’s newsfeeds – all with the same general message.


Rona Delatte was a giver – someone who generated happiness from seeing others happy themselves.

“I will forever remember that smile and her beautiful spirit,” family friend Deanna Lorraine said.

“She did anything for anyone that she could help out or lend a hand to,” relative Lauren St. Pierre Dufrene added.


Especially her grandbabies.

As a MiMi, Shantelle said her mom was perfect – the type of grandmother who spoiled her four grandchildren rotten, giving them anything that they wanted at any time.

Rona called her grandbabies her “rotten eggs” – a play on how spoiled each was for their MiMi.


Shantelle said Rona would often online shop for the kids – anything to give them the latest gizmo or gadget that they desired.

“It is without a doubt that they were her world,” Shantelle said. “She would do anything to make them happy. … She would ride bikes with them, fish with them, tell them stories and her all-time favorite thing to do was to stretch them in the mornings when they first woke up. She broke every rule I set for them, and I allowed her to because that’s what grandparents do.

“The kids thought she hung the moon, and she was positive they placed every star in the sky.” •


Galliano native Rona Delatte (left) loved her two children and four grandchildren more than anything in the world. A fun-loving, selfless woman, Delatte is remembered for her love for life and the people within it.

COURTESY