Donald William Braniff

1936 - 2023

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held at 12 noon for Donald William Braniff at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Lafayette on Monday, May 15, 2023. Bill, as he was affectionately known, was 86 when he went home to see his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at his residence in Youngsville. The family requests that visitation be observed at Martin and Castille's Downtown location on Sunday, May 14, 2023, from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM with a recitation of the rosary at 4:00 PM. Visitation will resume on Monday, May 15, 2023, from 8:00 AM until 11:30 AM. Interment will be held in Calvary Cemetery. Reverend Hampton Davis, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and St. Mathilda Catholic Church of Eunice will be the Celebrant of the Mass. Reverend Andrew Schumacher, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church of Mermentau, Reverend Matthew Higginbotham, Pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, LA, Reverend Monsignor Keith J. Derouen, Pastor Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Opelousas and Reverend Monsignor Jefferson DeBlanc, Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church will concelebrate the Mass. Deacon Tim Maragos of Our Lady of Fatima will assist with the Mass. Donald William "Bill" Braniff was born in New Orleans on December 28, 1936. After graduating from Jesuit High School in New Orleans he headed to LSU where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science and a Master's Degree in Food Science and Meat Technology. During summers at LSU, Bill vacated the un-airconditioned stadium dorm to sleep in the hay barn where he and his fellow "barn boys" could catch a breeze. They called him the 'city cowboy' because he was from the city and knew more about livestock than the boys from the farms. Registering on the Richter scale, Bill's booming voice and hearty laugh entered the room long before he did. If you ever witnessed his donkey imitation, then you know exactly what we mean! His irreverent sense of humor and quick wit were appreciated by all who encountered him….well, most of the time, anyway. In the late 1950s or early 1960s, Bill could be found in the rodeo arena at LSU and the traveling circuit. He was an accomplished bull and bronco rider with many buckles to his credit. But what he was really good at and relished - was rodeo clowning. Bill was proud to have worked alongside the famous rodeo clown, Rick Young. Food always took center stage in Bill's life. It was food that put food on the table in the Braniff household. While serving in the United States Army, and living in Germany for three years, Bill set the meat specifications for the United States Army in Austria. After the Army, Bill moved to Chicago, met the mother of his children, and rose to the top of the largest meatpacking plants in the nation, where he became known as "Boy Wonder". Bill returned to New Orleans where he became Senior Vice President of Self-Service Restaurant Group which owned more Burger Kings than Burger King. During his tenure, aside from developing and building over two hundred Burger Kings across the nation, the company launched Chart House Restaurant and Luther's Bar B Que, Luther's being Bill's baby. Bill Braniff was a Renaissance Man. When he put his mind to something he did it thoroughly no matter the subject whether it be music, art, carpentry, leather tooling, car building, gourmet cooking, foreign languages, hunting, fishing, dog training, joke telling, storytelling as well as a stint or two singing in bands. He had great fun doing it all. Bill shared his enthusiasm with both of his children especially his love and appreciation for the arts, architecture, and music. It was and is a gift to them that keeps on giving. While Megan has excelled in the restaurant industry, after many years of Kyle's indentured servitude to Bill in high school and college, he pursued his passion in both construction and design. Nearest and dearest to Bill's heart were his six spectacular, well-behaved grandchildren, his devout Roman Catholic faith, Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium, and his own delicious gumbo. Never turning a blind eye to a need, Bill volunteered his time and talents to benefit his beloved Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau and the Carmelite Monastery in Lafayette. Some of his proudest vocations came from serving the Carmelite Sisters for over twenty-five years. Left behind to cherish his memory is his daughter, Megan Braniff Klock, and her husband, John; his son, Kyle William Braniff, and his wife, Lindsey Andrus Braniff; his grandchildren, Molli Marie Klock, John Everett Klock, Kaiden Braniff Klock, Elizabeth Kaye "Beth" Braniff, William Finnegan Braniff, and Benjamin Rory Braniff; the Mother of his children, Molly Finnegan, and her husband, Tommy Guilbeau; one bonus daughter, Elizabeth Mangham and last but not least his beloved grand-dogs, St. Agnes, Rouxster and Rigley. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas G. and Flo Zimmer Braniff and his sister, Gayle Braniff Dupre. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to the Carmelite Monastery, 1250 Carmel Dr., Lafayette, LA 70501. Please make check payable to Carmelite Monastery. View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com. Martin & Castille Funeral Home - Downtown, 330 St. Landry Street Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-234-2311.