Louis Joseph Michot Jr.

A funeral Mass will be held on Friday, March 9, 2012, 3:00 p.m., at Sacred Heart Church in Broussard, Louisiana, for Louis Joseph Michot, Jr., who passed away peacefully in Lafayette on March 6, surrounded by family. Louis was born on November 5, 1922, in Lafayette. His parents, Louis Joseph Michot, Sr., and Adele Marie Domas Michot, were both from Avoyelles Parish. He was raised in Mamou, Evangeline Parish, and in Lafayette where he graduated from Cathedral High School in 1939, was an Eagle Scout and attended SLI (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette). Louis was preceded in death by his parents; by his wife of 65 years, Patricia Ann Smith Michot; by two daughters, Carolyn Rose Michot and Yvette Marie Michot; by one grandchild, Ruth Reaux; by three brothers, James Kenneth Michot, Thomas Warren Michot, and William Harold Michot; and by two sisters, Beverly Michot Benguiat and Mary Lois Michot Elliott. He is survived by his eight children: Marilyn Ann Michot Breaux (husband Steve Breaux), Patrick Louis Michot (wife Suzanne Lafleur Michot), Thomas Claud Michot (wife Katharine Meleton Michot), David Luke Michot (wife Colette Conway Michot), Timothy Paul Michot (wife Pam Herring Michot ), Robert James Michot (wife Beatrice Guwang Michot), Michael John Michot (wife Monique Broussard Michot), and Yvonne Marie Michot (husband Randy Reaux); 19 grandchildren (Jim Keating (wife Tracey), Sean Keating (wife Bridgett), Rebecca Keating, Chris Keating, Patrick Michot, Joline Michot, Andre Michot (wife Heather), Louis Michot (wife Ashlee), Katharine Michot, Effie Michot, Kayla Michot, Timothy Michot, Noemie Michot, Rosalie Michot, Mikie Michot, Mary Carolyn Michot, Jesse Reaux (wife Megan), Asher Reaux, Daniel Reaux; and five great-grandchildren: Christina Keating, Jaime Keating, Ayler Keating Louviere, Julien Michot and Louis P. Michot II; by one sister, Jacqueline Michot de Ceballos, of Phoenix Arizona, and by many neices, nephews, and cousins. Louis Michot is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana and has lived there most of his 89 years, except for his 10 boyhood years in Youngsville and Mamou, Louisiana, where his father was a school teacher. He then joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and served 6 months as a firefighter and reforestation worker in Northern California. Louis served 4 years in the Marines during WWII. While in the Marines he was an anti-aircraft battery unner officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and participated in 10 combat missions in the Pacific Theatre. Following military service he left college and ventured into the business world by building a drive-in theatre in Lafayette, eventually owning 2 theatres in Acadiana. His subsequent business ventures over the years covered a wide range such as: real estate development; 45 Burger Chef fast food restaurants in Louisiana and Mississippi; commercial air and water transportation; oil well drilling; offshore and marine construction; general insurance; textile manufacturing in Mexico; foreign trade; and cattle ranching in Central America. He was one of the organizers of Bank of Lafayette, and served on its Board of Directors. He also was on the board and was founding chairman of the International Trade Development Group, and he served on the Boards of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette, Conrad Industries in Morgan City, LA, and as Chairman of Michot Family Partnership based in Lafayette. He was elected to the Louisiana Legislature from Lafayette Parish in 1959, was a candidate for Governor in 1963, later elected to the Louisiana State Board of Education in 1968, and in 1971 elected statewide as Superintendent of Education. Besides his emphasis on "Career Education" where Louisiana established the system of Voc-Tech education and training to better equip our Youth for job skills, he is proud to have provided start-up funds plus office and studio space for La. Educational TV, which is now our very outstanding Louisiana Public Broadcasting Network, LPB. Always active in civic and community affairs, he accepted an appointment as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce in 1953, and in 1955 was a founder of the Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition (LAGCOE). He is a licensed pilot, served 2 years in Washington, D. C. as Assistant to the Vice President of the Air Transport Association of America, and later as President of the National Aerospace Education Association. He has received the National Civil Air Patrol's distinguished Brewer Award. He is a former Kiwanis International Governor of its Louisiana, Mississippi, West-Tennessee District, was Vice President of the USS Enterprise Assn., a recipient of the Lafayette Civic Cup Award, The ULL Outstanding Alumni Award, Cathedral-Carmel Distinguished Graduate Citation, received the First International Achievement Award by the City of Lafayette. He was named to the Acadiana Business Hall of Fame. He is a past International President of the International Good Neighbor Council, which promotes good will and better relations amongst the peoples of the United States and Mexico. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Military Hall of Fame and Museum located in Abbeville, LA. For many years Mr. Michot has provided assistance in the establishment and maintenance of a 75 bed free hospital, 2 schools, and drilling of 7 pure water wells for the Tarahumara Indian children of Northwest Mexico. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 8, 2012, at Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with a rosary to be recited at 8:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at Delhomme Funeral Home on Friday, March 9, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and at Sacred Heart Church in Broussard Friday from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the service (3:00 p.m.). There will be a reception following the service at La Belle Maison, 203 East Second Street, Broussard, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Louis and Pat Michot Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Acadiana, 1035 Camellia Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70508, www.cfacadiana.org. The obituary can be viewed and condolences can be posted to the guestbook at www.delhommefuneralhome.com. Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, is in charge of funeral arrangements.