Benjamin "Ben" Dale Pitre

Benjamin "Ben" Dale Pitre, a beloved figure in the community, passed away peacefully on June 29, 2024, in Lafayette, Louisiana surrounded by family and receiving the Last Rites of the Catholic Church to include the Apostolic Pardon. Born on August 18, 1945, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ben led a wonderful life with complete dedication to God and family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Benjamin “Ben” Dale Pitre at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at St. Landry Catholic Church in Opelousas, LA. Father Ben Pitre, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, will celebrate the Mass. Father Neil Pettit will concelebrate the Mass. The Rite of Committal will take place at St. Peter Catholic Cemetery in Grand Prairie, LA.

Visitation will take place in the Skip Montet Memorial Chapel at LaFond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM. A Rosary Service will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday evening by Deacon Dwayne Joubert with a eulogy following. The funeral home will re-open on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, from 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM.

As a young man, Ben served his country with honor as an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force, reaching the rank of Captain, with principal duty stations in Minot, North Dakota and Okinawa, Japan. His military service was a testament to his bravery and patriotism during the Vietnam War era. A graduate of the 1963 class at the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Opelousas, he went on to get a bachelor's degree in microbiology from USL, working as a Medical Technologist after his military service at Savoy Medical Center in Mamou for 40+ years.

With great devotion to his Catholic faith and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, inherited especially from his mother Ruby, Ben served as the coordinator for First Friday Adoration at St. Landry Catholic Church for 35 years. A loyal parishioner of St. Landry, he was an inspiration to many and an integral member of the parish’s Come Lord Jesus community. 

Ben cherished his wife and children, selflessly arranging his time to be with and support them, even after long hours at work. Many of the family’s best memories come from their moments with their father at the annual family vacation to the beach. Ben had a myriad of interests that brought him joy. For one, he was an avid horseman, knowing nearly every equestrian bloodline in the nation. While his family was young, he bred and trained quarter-horses at the family farm for racing. Each of his sons and daughters got a horse or two named after them. He adored flower gardening, famously tending to his Crown of Thorns. Through his military career and then following his children, he traveled the world, living life to the fullest.

Ben leaves behind a legacy of love and kindness that will be cherished by his surviving family members.

He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Suzanne Hebert Pitre of Opelousas; his sons, Father Ben Pitre of U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Joseph Pitre of Opelousas; his daughters, Natalie Gaudin and her husband, Stephen of Crowley; and Alison Garcille and her husband, Eric of Carencro; his grandchildren, Victoria G. Bertrand and her husband, Shea; Lauren Gaudin, Caroline Garcille, and Sadie Garcille; his 2 great-grandchildren, Atlas Bertrand and Ella Gaudin; and a host of other beloved family members and dear friends.

Ben is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde Pitre and Ruby Fontenot Pitre.

Pallbearers will be Joseph Pitre, Stephen Gaudin, Eric Garcille, Roderick Latiolais, Victor Parks, and Randy Morales. Honorary pallbearer will be James Bellow.

Family and friends are invited to sign and view the online guestbook at www.lafondardoin.com. 

Lafond-Ardoin Funeral Home of Opelousas, 2845 South Union Street, Opelousas, LA 70570, (337) 942-2638, has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.