Leo R. Segalla Sr.

Leo R. Segalla, Sr., age 75, passed away on September 10, 2012, surrounded in love by his family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Bernadette (Kearns) and Roland J. Segalla. Leo is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Lynn, six children, 19 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren: Daughter Laura, her husband, Neil Roshto, and children Michelle and Allen Hodges and Heidi and Mark Dubreuil. Great grandchildren James, Robert, Laura, Charlie, Ruthi and Maggie. Daughter Sharon, her husband, Jon Odenwald, and children Lauren, Grant, Anna, and Grace. Daughter Andrea, her husband, Christopher Grenier, and children, John-Paul, Adam and Thomas. Daughter Elizabeth (Beth), her husband, Neal Bronzo, and children Andrew, Anthony and Michael. Son Roland John (R.J.) Segalla, his wife, Shelly, and children Katie, Ashley and David. Son Leo Segalla, Jr., his wife, Cindy, and children Mark, Jessica, Brittany and Kyle. Also surviving Leo are one brother and two sisters: Brother David Segalla, his wife Wendy, son David John, wife Carmen and children D.J. and Isabella; son Spencer, wife Amanda and children Ryan and Maya. Sisters: Bernadette (Bonnie), husband, Kern Kinsman, and son Matthew, wife Meredith; and Maria, husband, Roger Hollifield, and children Charles and Shelley. Leo was born on July 18, 1937 and raised in Canaan, Connecticut. He came to Louisiana in 1955 to attend Tulane University in New Orleans. Leo and Mary Lynn, a New Orleans native, have been active members of St. Jude and St. Patrick Parishes in Baton Rouge. Leo served on the Parish Council and as a Eucharistic Minster, taught CCD, served as Lector and for a number of years, was a Eucharistic Minister to the men of Hunt Correctional Institute in St. Gabriel. Leo was initiated into the Knights of Columbus Order, Third Degree, in March 1968 as a member of Msgr. Dominic Blasco Council 3298 in Baton Rouge and transferred into his parish council of St. Patrick Council 8601 in July, 1991. He was initiated into the Msgr. Gassier Assembly, Fourth Degree, in May, 1981. Leo served the order by appointment as District Deputy, State Pro-Life Chairman, State Church Activity Director, State Program Director, State Membership Director and State Ceremonial Chairman. He was for many years an active Conferring Officer of the Third Degree. Leo was elected Grand Knight of Msgr. Dominic Blasco Council 3298 in 1973 and 1975; President of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Chapter in 1980; State Warden in 1984; State Advocate in 1985, State Treasurer in 1986, State Secretary in 1988, and State Deputy of Louisiana in 1990. Leo had been employed for 23 years as a Senior Cost Engineer and Cost Control Manager for Barnard and Burk in Baton Rouge prior to becoming Regional Program Consultant for the Knights Supreme Office in June, 1994. Leo retired from the Supreme Council on July 1, 2004 and then spent the next two years developing Grand Knight & District Deputy training programs for the Supreme Council. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana, the Supreme Knight asked Leo to return to the Supreme Council for one year to assist those councils and members devastated by the Storms. Leo remained active in St. Patrick Council 8601 in Baton Rouge having served as Advocate and Membership Director. For a number of years he had been the parish Respect Life Chairman. Leo also began the Respect Life ACTION Coalition of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and was treasurer of Baton Rouge Pro-Life. He developed the Louisiana Camp Joshua program (a Pro-Life Training weekend for high school students) which was initially held in Baton Rouge and which is funded by the K of C State Council. This program has now grown to two camps (the second in Lake Charles) and the Camp Joshua Institute (a week-long advanced pro-life training camp.) Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home, 11817 Jefferson Hwy., Baton Rouge, La., on Friday, September 14, 2012 from 5 pm until 9 pm with a recitation of the rosary at 7 pm. Visitation will resume on Saturday, September 15, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 12424 Brogdon Lane, Baton Rouge, from 9 am until Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am. Burial will follow in Resthaven Gardens of Memory. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Baton Rouge Right to Life, P.O. Box 86005, Baton Rouge, LA, 70879. Please visit www.resthavenbatonrouge.com to sign the online guestbook.