Ebert H. VanBuren

1924 - 2019

Ebert H. Van Buren

Monroe - Ebert H. Van Buren, passed away peacefully on June 14, 2019, at the Northeast Louisiana War Veterans Home in Monroe, LA. He was 94. He is survived by his daughters Karen Oliver, and husband Robert of Monroe, LA, Sharen Haddad, and husband Jon of Houston, TX, Joan Van Buren of Monroe, LA, Vanessa Clark, and husband James of West Monroe, LA, and one son, Ebert H. Van Buren, Jr., granddaughters Alexis Oliver of Baton Rouge, LA, and Tara Allain, and husband Andrew of Broussard, LA, and great granddaughter, Avie Allain of Broussard, LA, and numerous nieces and nephews. He will be interred in a private ceremony at Mulhearn Memorial Park Mausoleum.

Ebert was born on the island of Tela, Honduras in 1924. He moved from Utila to New Orleans, LA at age 8 to continue with his education until joining the service in 1943. He served in the U.S Army 96th Infantry Division in the Pacific during WWII from 1943 until 1945 was in the Leyte, Philippines and Okinawa, Japan campaigns where he was wounded in intense heavy combat on "Hacksaw Ridge" in Okinawa on his 29th day in that campaign. He received the Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars, the Philippine Liberation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and the Good Conduct Medal. He was the only survivor in his unit in Okinawa when the war ended. He later served as Lt. Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve in the 1970's and was attached to Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.'s command assisting with contributions toward the improvement of enlisted personnel life and racial tensions in the Navy.

Following his service in WWII, Ebert entered LSU where he became a member of the Tiger football team as a freshman walk-on player. He quickly became a star player his second year and was voted team Captain his senior year. In 2016 he was inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame for Football. In 1951 he was drafted in the first-round, 7th pick by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles as starting linebacker. He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl and voted on to the Professional Coaches All-American team his last year, and played successfully for the Eagles for 3 seasons. He started a practice in the health care profession as a Clinical Psychologist and practiced for over 60 years in Monroe, LA. He was a kind and generous gentleman personally assisting children financially, who were his patients, that couldn't afford expenses toward their school athletics.

Mr. Van Buren was appointed and served as Coroner for Ouachita Parish from 1972 to 1980, but his passion was SCUBA diving, swimming, and spending time at the gym. He was a SCUBA diving instructor from 1968 to 2010 through the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) certifying several thousand students how to safely dive in ocean and fresh water. He was also a SCUBA instructor at then Northeast La. University in Monroe, LA. Memorials may be made to the Disabled American Veterans directly or to a veteran's assistance program of your choice.

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Mulhearn Funeral Home

Sterlington Road, Monroe, LA