ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LA. 

Obituary for: 

Submitted by: Louis Lavedan. 

Source: The St. Tammany News

Published on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 

======================================================================= 
Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://theusgenweb.net/copyright.htm
http://theusgenweb.net/la/lafiles.htm 
======================================================================= 
NOTE: If a Photo is available for an obituary record, a reference note will be
included with the record. 
=========================================================== 

BOUDRA

Paul Webster Boudra, 87, died Saturday, June 12, 2010, after a long illness. 

The son of the Rev. James Franklin and Ellen Ruth Barefield Boudra, he was born 
in Clarksville, Ark., Sept. 10, 1922. He attended Arkansas State Teachers 
College and Louisiana State University, where he received a degree in civil 
engineering. He was married to the former Doris Blanche Ripp of New Orleans.

A World War II veteran, Paul volunteered as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air 
Corps in 1942. He was called to active duty in February 1943 and in April 1944 
graduated with honors from Flight School at Moore Field in Mission, Texas where 
he attained the rank of second lieutenant. He volunteered for immediate combat 
and was assigned to the 31st Fighter Group of the 15th Air Force as a P-51 
pilot.

He flew 27 successful missions before being shot down and captured near 
Budapest, Hungary. He was originally held as a prisoner at Stalag Luft III in 
Sagan, Germany, and took part in the Death March to Stalag VIIA near Moosburg, 
Germany, when the Allied Forces began to close in on Berlin. He was liberated by 
Patton's forces in May of 1945 after spending eight months as a prisoner of war.

In an interesting twist of fate, Paul's brother-in-law, James Hazelwood, was 
serving under General Patton and was present at the liberation of Stalag VIIA. 
It was there that the brothers-in-law met for the first time. Paul attained the 
rank of captain and was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, 
Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Prisoner of War Medal and 
European/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and American Campaign Medal.

After the war, Paul was employed as a Naval inspector and also worked for the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Atchafalaya River Basin Project designing 
revetments. He then moved to Huntsville, Ala., where he worked at the Redstone 
Arsenal for the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. He began work for the newly-
created NASA at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans in 1961 until his 
retirement.

His career spanned Projects Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and the Space 
Shuttle. Following Paul's retirement from NASA, he and Doris settled in Castor, 
where they enjoyed family and new friendships and fellowship at Castor United 
Methodist Church. During his final years he lived at Leslie Lakes Retirement 
Center in Arcadia.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Eunice Kathrine Boudra 
and Thelma Lee D'Angelo.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Doris Ripp Boudra; a brother, William 
Louis Boudra; and a sister, Peggy Gene Norman; five children, Paul Webster 
Boudra Jr., Margaret Ellen Root, Gary Russell Boudra, Patricia Joy Buckles and 
Heidi Elaine Pellegrin. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, four great-
grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass was held yesterday at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Arcadia. 
Graveside service and interment will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow in Forest Lawn 
Cemetery in Slidell. 

The family is requesting that memorial donations be made to Louisiana Methodist 
Children's Home, P O Box 929, Ruston, LA 71273-9976.

===================