Bill Gaudet

Bill Gaudet

Jackson

Edward William 'Bill' Gaudet, 95, a Jackson area resident and independent businessman since 1955, died at St. Dominic Hospital on Wednesday, 23 March 2011. He lived at The Orchard in Ridgeland since 2007, with his wife of 65 years Mary Elvira Stribling Gaudet. A man of deep and abiding faith, unquestionable integrity and principles, he led his life joyfully, always led by the precepts of Christian decency, fairness and honesty.

Funeral services will be held at St. Richard of Chichester Catholic Church, 1242 Lynnwood Drive, Jackson, on Monday, 28 March 2011, with visitation at 9:00 a.m., followed by a funeral Mass at 11 :00 a.m. Burial will follow at Lakewood Memorial

Bill was born on 9 August 1915 to Edward N, Gaudet and Alice M. Sullivan Gaudet in Somerville, Massachusetts. From the age of 9, he applied his talent to sales as well as his academics. Upon graduation from Somerville High School, he held numerous sales positions in Massachusetts, including lead salesman for quick frozen foods inventor and industrialist, Clarence Birdseye.

He enlisted in the US Army in April 1942, quickly rising to the rank of Sergeant, Army Air Forces. He was commissioned a Second lieutenant of Ordnance in June of 1944, and he met his future wife while assigned here in Mississippi. He was deployed for combat operations in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands Campaign, where he was the commander of 95 soldiers and senior officer for the northern sector of Okinawa. Bill was demobilized and separated from the Army in April 1946, and he wasted no time returning to Mississippi to marry Elvira, return to Massachusetts, return to sales, and start his family. He became the premiere salesman for Maintain Store Fixtures. Sensing an opportunity for starting an independent business, he moved with his burgeoning family of six children to Jackson in the fall of 1955. He established Gaudet Store Fixtures and began to enhance his already strong reputation for honesty, fairness, and customer service.

He was a long time devout member of St. Richard Catholic Church and sent all nine of his children through the Jackson Catholic schools and to college and university education. He continued to lead his business until he was in his 80's. An avid reader, he pursued his lifelong appreciation of and participation in astronomy, classical music, sailing, mathematics and science, gardening, cooking, and photography, instilling the same interests in all his children. His sensitive insightful photographs, depicting Army life, the ravages of war and nature, the spirit and resilience of the Okinawan people, the land and architecture of the Ryukyu Islands have been permanently added to the McCain Library and Archives of the University of Southern Mississippi.

He is survived by his wife, and their nine children: Billl Gaudet, Jr. (Jeannine), Hernando MS; Sandra Brou (Philip), Dallas GA; Beth Justus (Rich Warga), Baton Rouge LA; Melinda Brauss (Mark), Lake St. Louis MO; Martha Joseph (Joe), Jackson MS; Denise Wissel (Dave), Jackson MS; John Gaudet, Tylertown MS; Caroline Gaudet, Jackson MS; and Elvira Rouse (Steve), Purvis MS. He has 19 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren to date. He is survived by his dear sister-in-law, Dorothy Stribling, Ridgeland MS; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of Flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bill's memory to Catholic Charities or a charitable organization of your choice.

Online guestbook www.wrightferguson.com