Joe C. LeSage Jr.

Joe C. LeSage, Jr.

Shreveport, LA - Joe C. LeSage, Jr. was born and raised in Homer, Louisiana, the only child of Avalyn Taylor LeSage and Joe C. LeSage, Sr. He died September 22, 2015 a few months shy of his 87th birthday after a full life of accomplishments. He is survived by his ever devoted wife of 35 years Dolores F. LeSage. His oldest daughter Sherry Anne LeSage predeceased him in 2010. Others surviving him are daughter Susan Virginia LeSage, stepdaughter Deborah Word Jackson and husband Patrick and Sondra Word Jordan and husband Damon, granddaughter Victoria Laiche Jordan, grandson Zackary Joseph Jordan and fiancé Mary O'Brien, and the very special "Mammy" Maybell Burns of Homer. Joe was a longtime member of Broadmoor Baptist Church for over 50 years. Visitation will be Friday, September 25, at Osborn Funeral Home, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. with a private family gathering scheduled for Saturday. The family requests that donations be made to Shriners Hospital for Children or the local YMCA or Mexican Indian Training Center (MITC) in lieu of flowers.

After graduating from Homer High School a star athlete and student, he attended Louisiana State University from 1946 to 1952 securing a B.S. degree in Commerce (1950) and his law degree in 1952. He was a varsity member of the football, track and golf teams, lettering in all three. In 1987, Joe was inducted into the LSU Law Center Hall of Fame.

Military service during the Korean War delayed his entry into the law practice while serving on active duty from 1952 to 1954. Serving in the Ordnance Corps and Judge Advocate General's Corps, his duty stations included Fort Sill, Oklahoma and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

After military service, he began his law career in February 1954 as a member of Booth, Lockard, Jack & Pleasant which became Booth Lockard Jack Pleasant & LeSage when he became a partner in the firm in 1957. He became the senior member in the Booth Lockard law firm in 1979 (now Booth, Lockard, Politz and LeSage) and remained so until his death.

Joe LeSage was an active trial lawyer engaged in a general law practice, involving civil and criminal litigation of all types in both state and federal courts.

His civic involvement was legendary. He was a past member of the LSU Board of Supervisors (1956 - 1968) with the distinction of being the youngest member ever appointed to the LSU Board at age 27. He served as Chairman of the Board from 1964 - 1966. LSUS and LSU Medical School in Shreveport became a reality during Joe LeSage's tenure on the LSU Board. Joe was reappointed to the LSU Board of Supervisors on July 7, 1992 and served again with distinction until 1998. Joe was past president of Holiday in Dixie (1966), Past Chairman of the Board of Ark-La-Tex Ambassadors, Inc. (1979), a charter member and past Board member of the Shreveport Sports Foundation, past member of the Central Board and Metropolitan Board, YMCA and past chairman of Board of Management, YMCA, to name a few.

Joe LeSage was elected State Senator from the First Senatorial District, Caddo Parish, Louisiana, from 1968 to 1972 and chose not to run for reelection in 1972 opting to return to his full time law practice. While in the Senate, he served as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and served as a member of the Senate Finance and Judiciary B Committees. He was also a member of the Louisiana Legislative Council.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Manish Dhawan, Dr. Tommy Palmer, Lauren Scheffy his very special "personal" PA, hospitals and all of the many devoted medical staff members.

Ever devoted to his beloved LSU, Joe donated his body to science. He was a Fighting Tiger to the end!

When asked what he had on his "bucket list", he said it was empty! He had already done everything he wanted to do.

After a particularly hard fought and contentious trial, a seasoned litigator once remarked to Joe, "I never tire of a gentleman." You were that, friend Joe, you were a true southern gentle man.