Lockport mayor succumbs to cancer

Three-term Lockport Mayor Richard Champagne died following a long battle with cancer last Tuesday. He was 79.

Champagne spent most of his life as an educator as well as community leader. He began his political career in 1996 when he was elected to serve on the Lockport Town Council. After completing one four-year term in that position he made a first rUn for major in 2000, and remained in office for nearly 12 years.

Champagne’s intention was to complete his current term at the end of this year. He had no desire to seek re-election on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The Lockport Town Council is expected to appoint an interim mayor to complete Champagne’s term.

“He was a great role model,” Lockport Town Clerk Danielle Williams said of the man she worked with for the past two years.

“The town lost a great man and I lost a great friend,” Councilman Donovan Barker added. “He got along with all the council members and was good for the town.”

Lockport Police Chief Warren Vedros said his department and the mayor had an excellent relationship. “You don’t see that happen in many departments,” he said. “When it came to budgets and doing our work he was always supportive.”

Lockoprt Mayor Pro Tem Paul Champagne (no relation to the late mayor) echoed the loss expressed by others.

“[The Mayor] was just a great man and leader,” he said. “He brought the Traditional Boat Museum to Lockport from Nicholls [State University], he helped keep the Bayou Playhouse here, developed the Bayouside Park, helped improve drainage, just many, many things.”

Under Champagne’s leadership Lockport nearly doubled its land size from one square mile to almost two square miles by annexation.

Donavan Barker said the real estate expansion will prove to benefit the community of 2,700 residents. The late-mayor is also credited with leading infrastructural improvements for his town.

Champagne is preceeded in death by his wife, Elsie, and is survived by six children and 13 grandchildren.

A funeral mass and burial were conducted Thursday at Holy Savior Catholic Church in Lockport. Arrangements were handled by Falgout Funeral Home in Lockport.