Eugene Cazenave Jr.

Eugene J. Cazenave, Jr., retired BellSouth engineer and beloved father and grandfather, passed away this past Saturday, December 15, 2007, after suffering a heart attack last week.
A native of New Orleans, Gene Cazenave will be remembered by all who knew him in his adopted Jackson as a kind and gentle man. An impassioned philosopher, avid reader and an accomplished clock repairman, he established an excellent reputation, after his retirement from BellSouth as the man you would want to repair your grandfather clock. In fact, many will recall Gene's nickname, "The Clock Man," and his uncanny ability to coerce even the most intractable grandfather clocks into keeping accurate time.
Born on February 23, 1916 to the late Eugene J. Cazenave, Sr. de Peyresseau of Pau, France and the late Alma E. Busch of New Orleans, Gene Cazenave was a graduate of Tulane University, having earned twin degrees in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in 1937. In his 44-year tenure with the Bell System, he served in many different capacities, including Head of Engineering Training with the South Central Bell Telephone Company and as a well-known college recruiter for BellSouth. During an assignment in Atlanta in 1951, Mr. Cazenave taught at nearby Georgia State University, and later in his career, was a frequent lecturer at both Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi. He was a member of the National Roster of Scientific Personnel, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Society of Electrical Engineers.
Following his retirement from BellSouth in 1981, Gene served for many years as a volunteer radio reader for the Mississippi Radio Reading Service, when he was not keeping many of the grandfather clocks in the area running smoothly. He loved philosophy and art and impressed many with his intellectual approach to history, religion, and life itself. His favorite phrase was "act for the best, hope for the best, and take what comes," a mantra many will remember in the Jackson area. Gene loved France, and two of the most cherished periods of his life were his two extended trips to Paris after his retirement, the memories of which he loved to share later with everyone, along with an impressive command of the French language.
Gene has now gone to be with the Lord, following his wife, Paula Franklin Cazenave, who passed away in 1991.
He is survived by his three children and their families, including his daughter, Elisabeth Joy-Jenai Walkinshaw, and his two sons, Lewis Eugene Cazenave and Jonathan Franklin Cazenave, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Visitation and funeral services will both be held at Lakewood Memorial in Clinton, with visitation scheduled for 3-6 p.m. today and funeral services scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning, December 20, in the Lakewood Memorial chapel.