DAVE DE FELICE, SR. Obituary: Lafourche Parish, La. Submitted by: Louis Lavedan Source: Daily Comet, Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, La. 18 Dec 2004 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** NOTES: 1. The date preceding the obituary is the date of posting on the WWW, not the date of death. ================================ December 16. 2004 3:31PM Dave DeFelice Sr. [Photo] Dave John DeFelice Sr., 88, a native of Cut Off and resident of Raceland, died at 8:55 p.m. Dec. 14, 2004 of pancreatic cancer in Raceland. Visitation will be 8 a.m. to noon today at St. Mary's Nativity Catholic Church in Raceland. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at noon today at the church, with burial at the church cemetery. He is survived by his wife, Lolita Hanley DeFelice; sons, Dave DeFelice Jr.; daughter-in-law, Mona Mire DeFelice. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry J. DeFelice Sr. and Mathilde Galjour DeFelice; brothers, Henry DeFelice Jr. and Woodrow J. DeFelice. He was born in Cut Off on Jan. 27, 1916. He was a graduate of Cut Off High School and lived most of his life in Raceland. He worked with his father, Henry DeFelice Sr. in the oyster business and with Texaco in the oil fields. His fathe rnad brother Woodrow urged him to attend Louisiana State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in forestry and a master's degree in supervision and administration. He completed more than 50 hours of post-graduate work at Nicholls State University and reading specialty courses at the University of Rhode Island. Colonel DeFelice earned his 1st Lieutenant commission through the ROTC program at LSU. He began active duty in 1942 and served his country in World War II as a combat infantryman in the Fourth Army Division. He remained in the Army Reserve where he served as an instructor. He looked forward to his two weeks of active duty in the summer. He retired from the military as a colonel in 1971 with 29 years of service. After the war, he settled in Raceland, where he taught vocational agriculture at Raceland High School for 15 years. In 1959 he was appointed principal of Raceland Elementary, where he served for 17 years until his retirement in 1976 with 32 years of service. Students described DeFelice as a motivator who strived to have children achieve to the best of their ability. He loved children and often gave them as well as his friends nickmans when he taught agriculture his students affectionately referred to his as "Cap." He took great pride that many of his farm boys went on to college or obtained good jobs. As an elementary principal he was a firm believer in reading and was an authority on the subject. He was also an advocate of the French CODIFIL program and believed it was important to teach children to speak French. He was a community activist and work diligently at keeping our parish free from litter. He was an active and former member of the Grand Marshall Club and was selected Grand Marshall in 1991, VFW, American Legion, 40 and 8, Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, a charter member of the Chamber of Commerce of Central Lafourche and later the Bayou Region, Nicholls Alumni, LSU Alumni from which he received the Golden Tiger 50th Anniversary Award from veterans of the Old War Skule, Louisiana Retired Teachers Association, Lafourche Parish Retired Teachers Association, U.S. Army Retired Officers Association and Ducks Unlimited. He was named Citizen of the Year in 1991. He was a parishioner of St. Mary's Nativity Catholic Church. Donations to Lafourche Parish Education foundation, PO Box 879, Thibodaux, LA 70302 are preferred. Falgout Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.