Mary Anne Fontenot Ortis

1940 - 2019

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, December 20, 2019, at 10:00 AM, in St. Pius X Catholic Church in Lafayette for Mary Anne Fontenot Ortis, age 79, who passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette. Interment will be in Bellevue Memorial Park Cemetery in Opelousas, Louisiana. Serving as Celebrant of the Mass and conducting the funeral services will be Reverend James Brady, JCL, Pastor of St. Pius X Catholic Church. Musical selections will be, "Amazing Grace", "Psalm 23 - Shepherd Me, Oh God", "I Can Only Imagine", "One Bread, One Body", and "How Great Thou Art" Born January 23, 1940 to Roy and Lilly Briscoe Fontenot in Branch, La. She is a graduate of Our Lady of the Lake Nursing College of 1960. She married the love of her life, Louis Gene Ortis, on January 7, 1961. Of all of her many nursing jobs, she loved all the LPN students she taught at TH Harris for many years. She is the mother to four children, Jeigh Lynn Ortis Stipe (Mark), Arthur Todd Ortis (Sue), Scott Anthony Ortis (Lynn) and Holly Anne Ortis Guidry (Robert). She is preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Louis ""L.J."", her sister Gayle Fontenot Devillier and her grandson, Sidney ""Sid"" Fitzgerald Ortis. Mary Anne was known as ""Grandmother"" to her grandchildren: Mary Morgan Stipe, Louis Rowe Stipe, Andrew Allen Ortis (Ellen), Sid, Louis Gray Ortis, Josiah Ortis, Kati & Elle Ortis, Hayes Charles and Sawyer Louis Guidry. However, her role as ""Grandmother"" extended to friends and family far outside of her 10 grandchildren. For those who knew her, she was always impeccably dressed and ready for an outing or party. She was the matriarch of our family and the glue keeping the family together after Louis became ill in 1982. She raised 4 children with the love and constant help of our Nanny, Monita Reed. Nanny was with us until Mary Anne breathed her last breath. For her love, care and devotion to our family and our mother, we will be eternally grateful. We wish to thank the many wonderful and loving doctors, nurses and aides at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center with particular thanks to Dr. Jay Turkewitz. Dr. Andy Blalock, Dr. Tim Keys and nurses on Progressive Care Unit during our darkest hours, Lauren Meilleur and Taylor Picard, both of whom were incredible caregivers to Mary Anne and her family during those last days. Visitation will be Thursday, December 19, 2019 at Martin & Castille DOWNTOWN from 5-9pm with Funeral on Friday, December 20, 2019 at 10am at St. Pius Catholic Church. Pallbearers will be Mark Stipe and Robert Guidry, sons-in-law, Louis Rowe Stipe, Andrew Allen Ortis, Louis Gray Ortis, Josiah Ortis, Hayes Charles and Sawyer Louis Guidry, grandsons. Gift bearers will be Hayes and Sawyer Guidry and Kati and Elle Ortis. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Sid Strong Foundation, the foundation started in memory of her grandson, Sid Ortis. Donations can be made at www.SidStrongFound.org or by mailing to Sid Strong Foundation, P.O. Box 130877, Birmingham, AL 35213. View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com. Martin & Castille-DOWNTOWN, 330 St. Landry Street Lafayette, LA. 70506 337-234-2311.