Don Pat Descant

Don Pat Descant

Funeral mass for Don Pat Descant will be at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church with the Revs. Scott Chemino, Jack Michalchuk, and Bartholomew Ibe officiating. Burial will follow in the Bayou Rouge Baptist Cemetery in Evergreen. Arrangements are under the direction of Hixson-Ducote Funeral Home of Bunkie.

Mr. Descant, age 63 of Bunkie, passed away on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge.

He is preceded in death by his parents; Metreades Dwight and Anna McDonald Descant.

Survivors include his wife of 42 years; Becky Newton Descant of Bunkie; his three children, Annie Catherine Descant Schmitt and her husband Jeffrey of Ponchatoula, Patrick Newton Descant of Mandeville, and Megan Rebecca Descant of Bunkie; three brothers, Dwight Descant

and his wife Brenda of Bunkie, Trent Descant and his wife Gwen of Sunset, and Chuck Descant and his wife Melinda of Bunkie; his sister, Kay Descant Lee and her husband Jim of Bunkie; his grandchildren, Dane Descant Schmitt, Jonah Newton Schmitt, Sebastian Peter Lemoine, and Nora Ophelia Lemoine; his step-mother, Vivian Laprairie Descant of Bunkie; his father and mother-in-law, Fred Peter and Doris Nell Blakewood Newton of Bunkie; and many additional loving family and friends.

Mr. Descant was a native of Bunkie where he graduated from St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School and Bunkie High School. He then went on to attend Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe and McNeese State University in Lake Charles. He served in the United States Army Reserves; he was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church where he served as a lector and Eucharistic Minister and he was also a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus in the Bunkie chapter.

Mr. Descant was chairman of the board of M.D. Descant, Inc. which was established 48 years ago by his father. Earning the rank of Eagle Scout was a personal goal in his formative years, followed by service as an elected member of the Bunkie City Council. Mr. Descant served on the Bunkie General Hospital Board of Commissioners for 24 years. He was past president of Louisiana Associated General Contractors and served on the organization's legislative council. He was also a former member of the Louisiana Licensing Board of Contractors, and was chairman of the Avoyelles Parish Planning Commission. Mr. Descant was a member of the Hancock Holding Company and served on the compensation committee. He was recently named to the Board of Directors of Whitney Bank.

Friends may call from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday and 11:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. on Saturday at Hixson-Ducote Funeral Home of Bunkie. A wake service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

In lieu of flowers; memorials may be sent St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, 116 S. Knoll, Bunkie, LA 71322; St. Joseph Catholic School, 175 North 8th St., Ponchatoula, LA 70454; Miles Perret Cancer Services, 2130 Kaliste Saloom Rd., Suite 200, Lafayette, LA 70508; and St. Jude Children's Reserarch Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148.

Online condolences may be sent to www.hixson-ducote.com.