Robichaux, 67, dies of cancer

Leland Robichaux, a longtime civic and business leader in Terrebonne Parish and first-term Terrebonne Parish Councilman, died Sunday of cancer. He was 67.

Robichaux was elected overwhelmingly as councilman from District 6 in the Oct. 20 primary last year with 73 percent of the vote. He learned of the cancer diagnosis shortly before taking office in January.

“He had a dream to be a councilmember to do more for Terrebonne,” said Council Chairman Clayton Voisin. “It was a dream come true for him to be sworn in as a councilman. At the same time, he was diagnosed. It hampered his ability.”

“Still, he fought to make Terrebonne a better place,” Voisin said. “I will miss him personally and I will miss him professionally.”

During 2003 to 2004, Robichaux was president of the South Central Industrial Association, the Houma-based organization founded in 1997 to promote the interests of industries in the Tri-parishes. He was a board member for 8 years.

“He was one of our founding members,” said SCIA President Don Hingle. “He always did what people asked him to do. He would volunteer to go to meetings no one else would go to.”

“He was a very service-oriented, giving guy,” Hingle said. “A big asset to SCIA and to the parish. Those kinds of people are hard to find.”

Robichaux won SCIA’s Tillman Esteve Outstanding Member Award in 2007 and chaired SCIA’s infrastructure committee for five years.

“SCIA has lost a great leader,” said Executive Director Jane Arnette, who was also the organization’s executive director during Robichaux’s tenure as president. “He had a passion for the organization. He always educated himself about the issues, especially infrastructure. We could always go to him. Getting to know him was a great part of my life.”

“He will be greatly missed,” she said. “I had a true friendship and bond with him.”

Robichaux was also a board and executive board member of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, where he attended all the Chamber’s trips to Washington, D.C., for seven consecutive years.

“He was an exceptional councilmember,” Voisin said. “Prior to that he was extremely dedicated to Terrebonne Parish. He was a strong proponent of the levee system. He had gone to Washington, D.C., and Baton Rouge many times to get funds for Terrebonne Parish.”

“Leland Robichaux will be greatly missed by Terrebonne,” said Parish President Michel Claudet. “It’s unfortunate that he just began his term when his illness became critical. We express our deepest sympathies to his family and we will keep him in our prayers.”

Robichaux is survived by his wife, Judy Cunningham Robichaux; two sons, Ricky Jr. and Dicky Robichaux; and a daughter, Lisa Robichaux Boudreaux and her husband, Ray Boudreaux.

Visitation will be Wednesday, 8 a.m. to funeral time at Chauvin Funeral Home. A prayer service will be held at the funeral home at 10 a.m. Burial will be in St. Frances de Sales No. 2.

The parish council will elect an interim councilmember to fill the seat prior to the committee meetings on June 9. The council will also issue a proclamation formally requesting that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal name the replacement until a primary election is held on Oct. 4.

Qualifying for the position will take place from July 9 to 11. If needed, a runoff election will be held Nov. 4, the same day as the U.S. presidential election.