Warren D. Figueiredo

Funeral service will be held Friday, May 21, at a 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial in St. Francis Regis Catholic Church, Arnaudville, for Warren Douglas Figueiredo, 58, who passed away Wednesday, May 19, 2010, at J. Michael Morrow Nursing Home in Arnaudville. Interment will be in St. Francis Regis Cemetery in Arnaudville. The Rev. Keenan Brown, pastor of St. Francis Regis Catholic Church, will officiate at the services. Warren was a native of Arnaudville and resident of Baton Rouge. He spent his life in service to the blind community as an educator and a Braille producer. He attended Leonville High School and the Louisiana School for the Blind, from which he received his high school diploma in 1970. His bachelor's degree in secondary education came from Louisiana Tech University in 1973. In 1976, he received his literary Braille transcriber's certificate from the Library of Congress. He attended the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a master's degree in special education with an emphasis on visual disabilities in 1980. From 1973 through 2004, he was a staff member of the Louisiana School for the Blind and its offshoot, the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired. Throughout his years at the school at one time or another he taught French, Braille and language arts. He also worked in the recreation program, served as dean of boys and was a school librarian. He also was a resource teacher for students who went from LSVI to local high schools. He founded and oversaw the Outreach and Technical Assistance Project. During his final years at LSVI, he directed the Louisiana Instructional Materials Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where he and his hardworking staff made sure that blind students across the state had their Braille and large print books. For many years he assisted with the LEAP test. Warren served as an ex officio trustee of the American Printing House for the Blind and represented APH on the Braille Authority of North America. He also served on the board of the National Braille Association. He had the privilege of serving on the board of Braille Planet. He was a lifelong member of the National Federation of the Blind, where he served for many years as the treasurer of the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille. He had a lifelong respect for so many of the members of the blind community as they struggled to achieve independence, gain respect and achieve equality. He was a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Baton Rouge. Survivors include his father, Luiz Figueiredo, of Sao Paola, Brazil; his mother, Louise Guilbeau Rabalais, of Arnaudville; two brothers, Luiz Figueiredo Jr. and his wife, Maria, of Arnaudville, and Carlos Figueiredo, of Indonesia; a stepbrother, Murray Rabalais Jr. and his wife, Joan, of Thibodaux; a half-sister, Ann Marie Richard, of Lafayette; a stepsister, Karen Rabalais Olivier and her husband, Pat, of Arnaudville; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his stepfather, Murray Rabalais. A rosary will be prayed at 9 a.m. Friday in the funeral home. The family requests that visiting hours be observed Friday from 8 a.m. until service time. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in the name of Warren Figueiredo may be made to American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206-0085. Pallbearers will be Murray Rabalais Jr., Patrick Olivier, Pat Olivier, Mario Figueiredo, Tibby Figueiredo and Francis Guilbeau. View the obituary and guestbook online at www.melanconfuneralhome.net. Melancon Funeral Home of Arnaudville, 224 Main St., (337) 754-5725, is in charge of arrangements.