ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LA. 

Obituary for: BREESE, BETH JONES 

Submitted by: Louis Lavedan. 

Source: E.J. Fielding Funeral Home, Covington, La.

Died Tuesday, Sep 21, 2010

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BREESE, BETH JONES 
(October 9, 1921 - September 21, 2010)

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Beth Breese, of Abita Springs, Louisiana, a licensed clinical social worker, 
died of cancer in Covington, Louisiana on September 21, 2010.

She was born Eula Elizabeth Jones in Marshallville, Georgia on October 8, 1921, 
the daughter of John Frederic Jones and Louise Crocker Jones. She grew up on the 
family farm, known as Thronateeska Plantation, where her parents grew peaches. 
She was graduated from Georgia State Teachers College (now Georgia Southern) in 
1942 with a degree in education. On October 27, 1942, she married Frank C. 
Breese, Jr., an army officer stationed at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. After the war, 
and after the birth of her first child in Georgia, Beth moved with her young 
family to Frank's hometown of Monroe, Louisiana. After the birth of her second 
child, she taught nursery school for several years and then began working in 
radio at local station KNOE where she hosted a talk/interview show each weekday 
morning. When Governor James A. Noe, owner of KNOE, started the city's first TV 
station, KNOE TV, in 1954, Beth hosted a live cooking show, Beth Breese's Pantry 
Party, each weekday at noon. 

In 1958, she left TV and began a career as a social worker at the Monroe Area 
Guidance Center. After a short time there, she accepted a state grant to attend 
the LSU School of Social Work from which she was graduated in 1961 with a 
Masters in Social Work. 

Legally separated from her husband, in 1961 she moved to Covington, Louisiana 
and became director of the St. Tammany Parish Mental Health Center. In the mid-
'60s she accepted a position in the department of psychiatry at LSU Medical 
School in New Orleans where she taught aspiring physicians how to deal on a 
personal and emotional level with patients and their families and trained newly 
graduated clinical social workers. 

In the early '70s she left LSU and accepted the position of chief social worker 
at River Oaks Hospital, a new private psychiatric hospital in New Orleans 
specializing in the treatment of schizophrenia. 

In 1977, she started a private psychotherapy practice in New Orleans. She later 
moved her practice to Metairie, Louisiana and then to Mandeville, Louisiana and 
finally to her home in Abita Springs. She continued to see patients until eight 
weeks before her death. 

Beth Breese leaves as her legacy numerous former patients she treated in her 
many years of practice, many of whom contacted her during her final illness to 
tell her how much she meant to them and how she helped them transform their 
lives and relationships. 

She was predeceased by her parents, by her brother Robert F. Jones of 
Monticello, Florida and by a grandson, Frank C. "Chad" Breese, IV. She is 
survived by her son Frank C. "Kim" Breese, III and his wife Katie (Trimble) of 
Jackson, Mississippi; by her son Frederic C. Breese and his wife Suzanne 
(Tadlock) of Conway, South Carolina; by three grandchildren, Amanda K. Breese of 
Boca Raton, Florida, Frederic C. "Eric" Breese, Jr. of Abita Springs, Louisiana 
and Lila Elizabeth Breese of Vero Beach, Florida; by three stepgrandchildren, 
Graves Theus (Anna Smith) of Alexandria, Louisiana, Prentiss Theus McClendon 
(Hutch) of Gurley, Louisiana and Mary Howell Theus of Asheville, North Carolina; 
and by eight great grandchildren. She is also survived by her companion of 47 
years, Dr. Richard P. Lesneski of Abita Springs. 

A memorial service will be held in a few weeks. Those wishing to attend may 
obtain information regarding the service by calling Kim at 601-832-1082 or Fred 
at 843-333-2411.

Memorial contributions may be sent to her favorite charity: Heifer 
International, One World Ave.; Little Rock, AR 72202. 

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