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December 3, 2010Looking for Santa? He’s everywhere!
December 4, 2010
Sylvester Etienne Gautreaux Jr., 85, a native of Lockport, La., died Friday, Nov. 26, 2010.
Born in Lockport, July 26, 1925, to Annie Stagni Gautreaux and Sylvester E. Gautreaux Sr., he was the third of eight children. He grew up in Lockport, joined the Navy and served as a medic with the Marines during World War II in the Pacific theater, where he was in the fierce battle on Pelileu Island, then the thrust toward Okinawa on the Japanese mainland where he earned a Purple Heart. He returned home after the war and married Helen Marie Champagne, also of Lockport. A loyal, loving husband and father, he enjoyed fishing, poetry, classical music and western movies. His career spanned 38 years, the first nine years with the U.S. Postal Service. The remainder divided between life insurance sales and ending as sales director of AAA motor club in Oklahoma City. Perpetual light now shines upon him.
He is survived by his wife, Helen Marie Champagne; sons, Donald (Alyson), Andrew (Sally), Mark (Jerry) and Bill (Christy) Gautreaux; daughters, Mary Helen Gautreaux, Kathryn (Gerald) Thompson and Lynn Baca; 17 grandchildren, Christy, Natalie, Benjamin, Angela, Candice, Mark, Andrew, Nathan, Nic, Zeb, Josh, Jeremy, Nicole, Kelly, Matthew, Adrianna and Estella; 11 great-grandchildren; sister, Inez Crain; and brothers, Nolan and Dudley Gautreaux.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and four brothers, Francis, Charles, Edward and Norman.
A family gathering to honor Syl is being planned for December in Oklahoma City.
