Wilbert F. Jordan Jr.

A native of Clarksdale, Miss. and resident of East Baton Rouge Parish, he died March 14, 2013. Visiting at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church on Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 8 a.m. until service at 11 a.m. conducted by Rev. Dr. Mary Moss and Very Rev. Edward Chiffriller. Interment in Southern Memorial Gardens. Survivors include his wife, Ruby Guillory Jordan; mother, Mildred Ward Jordan; sons, W. Wydell Jordan of Hattiesburg, Miss., Laten V. (Keyaunna) Jordan of Columbus, Ohio, W. Frazier Jordan III of Baton Rouge, La., Taylor M. Jordan of Birmingham, Ala.; grandchildren, Malashia, Makeyah, Iemanni and Laten Jordan, Jr. of Columbus, Ohio; Nehemiah, Keyunah, A.J. Allen and Kamryn Jordan of Hattiesburg, Miss. Preceded in death by his father, Wilbert F. Jordan, Sr. Mr. Jordan was an enthusiastic fisherman who enjoyed the catch as well as the cooking and sharing. He enjoyed life to the fullest and never missed an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Upon graduating as Valedictorian from Riverview High School in Waynesboro, Miss., he entered the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in 1968 on both music and athletic scholarships. Will was the first African-American to participate in any intercollegiate sport in Mississippi at a previously segregated university. He was a basketball letterman at USM in Hattiesburg. He earned both a Bachelor and Master Degree in Biology from USM, and in 1984, earned a Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University. Will's professional career began in lake Charles, Louisiana, where he worked as an Environmentalist for Olin Corporation. He later joined Ethyl Corporation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as a Corporate Industrial Hygienist. Will pursued a second career that included earning a law degree, and immediately opened his private practice with law partner, Anthony Bertucci. Subsequently, he pursued his interest in public service and worked in the State, city, and parish an as Assistant Attorney General, Assistant District Attorney, Assistant City Prosecutor and Assistant Parish Attorney. He also served as Judge pro tempore in Baton Rouge City Court. From 2004 to 2008, he was Assistant Secretary, Office of Environmental Assessment, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Shortly afterwards, he returned to work as Assistant City Prosecutor, where he remained until retirement in 2010. His professional credentials also included a Registered Environmental Manager and a Certified Environmental Auditor. Will was on the Board of Directors of the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials for EPA's Region 6, and a member of the Louisiana State Bar and Mississippi State Bar Associations. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation of LA, or The Louisiana Lupus Foundation.