Cleo 'Doris' Strickland d'Aquin James

Cleo passed into Jesus' loving arms on Friday, September 11, 2015 at The Crossing at Clarity Hospice in Baton Rouge, LA. She was 96 years old. She was born on August 11, 1919 in Baton Rouge and has resided in Baton Rouge all her life. She graduated from Istrouma High School in 1937. She married John Lewis d'Aquin in 1942 and had two children Keith and Joel, whom she reared with loving care. After her children were older, she started work as an Avon Cosmetics Representative. She excelled in this field and was quickly promoted to Avon District Manager; for the next fifteen years, she kept an average of 130 Avon Representatives working for her during the 1960's and 1970's. She traveled extensively in her Avon District which included Iberville, Livingston, Ascension, Assumption, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes. One reason she excelled so easily as an Avon District Manager was because of her vibrant and enthusiastic spirit and her ability to encourage, motivate, and instill a sense of personal pride in others. She won numerous awards for sales in her district while at Avon due to her skills at bringing out the full potential in her representatives who worked under her. Cleo was a beautiful soul who brought liveliness and cheer to any setting. She was sweet, kind, caring, and generous. One of her passions was flowers; and in her younger years, she enjoyed growing beautiful flowers in her yard. She is preceded in death by her parents Estella Queaver Stringfield Strickland and Ponce de Leon (P. D.) Strickland; her son Keith Joseph d'Aquin and his wife Ann Marie Isaac, her brother Neil Strickland, her sister Bert Strickland Sevier and husband Monet, her sister Mildred Strickland Mixon and husband Louie, and her sister-in-law Barbara Andrews Strickland. She is also preceded in death by her first husband (of 27 years) John Lewis d'Aquin, her second husband (also of 27 years) Earl Jesse James, her step-son Clyde James, and her step-daughter Mildred ""Millie"" James Wallace. She is survived by her daughter Joel Cleo d'Aquin Thibodeaux and husband Ron, her brothers Wayne Strickland, Dale Strickland and wife Jo Ann, Carlton Strickland and wife Mary Ann, sister-in-law Rosalie Strickland, step-granddaughter Denise Thibodeaux Rodgers and husband James, step-granddaughter Julie Thibodeaux, three step-great-grandchildren Brittany Duncan and husband Daniel, Colin Rodgers, and Taylor Rodgers, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be Gary Coye, Jeff Graham, Donald D. McDowell III, Sean McLaughlin, Gill Mixon, and James Rodgers. Visitation is at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70815 on Saturday, September 19, 2015 from 12:00 Noon until funeral services at 2:00 p.m. Services will be conducted by the Reverend Dr. Robert L. Davis. Interment is at Roselawn Cemetery, 4045 North Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806.