Colonels ink 2 in Signing Day catch
April 20, 2016
Gabriel Richard
April 20, 2016
Alan Matherne, 58, of Larose, died April 11, 2016, of complications associated with ALS.
Commercial and recreational fishermen, as well as coastal restoration advocates, lost a friend and supporter last week with the death of Louisiana State University marine extension agent Alan Matherne.
The loss of the longtime scientist is also acutely felt by his two daughters and other loved ones, who remember him as equally dedicated to them and his granddaughter.
Alan regularly contributed a column on fishing to the bi-weekly Sportsman page of The Times, which included tips for anglers.
He died Monday, April 11, at his home in Larose, surrounded by family members who said he waged a heroic year-long struggle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the N.Y. Yankees slugger who succumbed to the ailment.
“He loved his job, he was a dedicated worker and father and loved LSU, and was always willing to help anybody,” said Alan’s eldest daughter, 22-year-old Janae Matherne.
Alan was born and raised in the St. Charles Parish community of Bayou Gauche, a short drive from where the Des Allemands Bridge meets the Lafourche Parish line. He later moved to Larose, where he made his home until his demise.
In 1981, Alan earned a bachelor’s degree from Nicholls State University, and served as a marine extension agent with the LSU Agricultural Center and the Louisiana SeaGrant program from that year through 1997. His duties included monitoring life forms in the ecosystems of St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Lafourche parishes and developing programs to help fishermen more effectively make their livings. During that first round of work for the state, Alan went on to earn a master’s degree from LSU in vocational education, becoming a father in the process and actively parenting his children.
“He was the best dad ever,” said Alan’s younger daughter, Jani. “He did everything with us, always took us on trips, he wanted us to experience life and experience all the aspects of it. He took us fishing, going to the lake in the boat, going on vacation, going to the beach. He just loved people and loved being able to impact people’s lives.”
In 2010, Alan returned to the LSU AgCenter, at a time when the university was increasing its outreach to fishermen, who were hit hard – as they are still-by low prices of imported seafood, affecting the prices paid at local docks.
Alan was an accomplished fisherman himself, an avid reader, diver and hunter.
At SeaGrant, specialist Julie Falgout worked closely with Alan and is still adjusting to the loss.
“Alan was not only my co-worker, he was my friend,” she said. “He had a kind and gentle spirit… He will be sorely missed by family and friends.”
Trudy Luke, owner of Luke’s Seafood in Dulac, whose family operates crab and shrimp boats, said she was devastated by Alan’s death.
“It breaks my heart,” she said. “Any advice you needed, Alan would give it. He gave his heart to whatever he was doing.”
Alan’s work at SeaGrant and his hunting and fishing helped carry him through a devastating loss, the death of his 17-year-old son Josh in 2008, an event his daughters agreed was a long-time heartbreak.
The light of his life over the past year has been his granddaughter, Janae’s daughter, Adalyn, who is a year old.
Even as he struggled with his illness, Janae said, he tried to be as much a part of Adalyn’s life as possible.
Alan’s daughters laughed as they recalled his sense of humor.
“Every time we would ask him for something or we needed something, he would always say, ‘We’ll see.’ He would never say ‘yes’ or ‘no,'” Janae said, recalling how the practice related to his being the father of two girls. “He said that if you say ‘yes,’ and it doesn’t happen, we would be mad, and if he said ‘no,’ we were going to be mad.”
While Alan will be missed, his daughters have no doubt that he will be remembered.
“He still lives in us,” Jani said.
Alan Matherne with his granddaughter, Adalyn. A longtime fisherman, Matherne made his mark locally as a Louisiana State University marine extension agent.
