LAWRENCE BLANCHARD Obituary: Terrebonne Parish, La. Submitted by: Louis Lavedan Source: Houma Courier, Houma, Terrebonne Parish, La. 31 Oct 2005 ================================================== ********************************************** 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. ============================= October 27. 2005 12:00AM Lawrence Blanchard [Photo] Lawrence "Larry" Anthony Blanchard, 62, a native of Terre-bonne Parish and resident of Chauvin, died at 11:40 p.m. Wednes-day, Oct. 26, 2005. Visitation will be from 5 to 10 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to funeral time Friday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Chauvin. Mass will be at 1 p.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with burial in the church cemetery. He is survived by his wife of 44 ½ years, Bertha Chauvin Blanchard of Chauvin; three daughters, Veronica Blanchard, Fredia B. Parfait and husband, Blaine Parfait Sr., of Chauvin and Tammy B. Boudreaux and husband, Timmy Boudreaux of Houma; one brother, Norman Blanchard of Chauvin; one sister, Jean B. Authement of Chauvin; seven grandchildren, Jenna Dupre, Tony Fanguy and companion, Roxanne Pellegrin, Brock Fanguy, Joey Fanguy, Brad Boudreaux, Nick Boudreaux and wife, Sandy, and Tiffany Boudreaux; one great-grandchild, Trent Fanguy; seven step- grandchildren, Kailyn, Bethanie, Britanie, Blaine Jr., Bryson, Brandon and Blayna Parfait; and two step-great-grandchildren, Katie Miller and Gavin Cato. He was preceded in death by his parents, Magnus Blanchard and Lizzie Lapeyrouse Blanchard; his grandparents, Zilda Price Blanchard and Joseph Blanchard; and one brother, Dale Blanchard. He was a bridge tender with Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government and a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church. He enjoyed playing his guitar and love listening to classic rock. He was an accomplished dessert chef and loved sharing his works of art with his family. One of his other joys in life was his carpentry work. He also loved his church and was a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Chauvin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. October 29. 2005 1:11AM REMEMBERING: Lawrence "Larry" Blanchard 'He had the touch' By JAN CLIFFORD Staff Writer Many residents in the close-knit fishing community of Chauvin are mourning the passing this week of Lawrence Blanchard, a man better known to friends and family as "Larry." Blanchard died Wednesday from an infection he contracted in the floodwaters during Hurricane Rita. He was 62. The storm surge from Rita flooded much of Chauvin, including Blanchard's Elvin Street home Sept. 24. According to family friend Jerri Pate, Larry Blanchard waded back into his house the Monday after the storm struck to retrieve important papers, and in the evening complained to family of a burning sensation in his legs. During the second visit to his flooded home the next day, Blanchard became feverish and began to tremble uncontrollably. When family called for help, Blanchard was hospitalized and placed on a respirator. He never recovered, and passed away just over a month later. Friends said Blanchard suffered from dry skin and surmised that's how the infection entered his bloodstream. They are attributing his death to contact with the floodwaters and worry that others might not recognize the possible danger. While Blanchard's wife, Bertha Chauvin Blanchard, and other family members requested privacy and declined to speak with The Courier about the popular man's death, other close friends wanted people to know how much he meant to them and that the grandfather of seven's memory will endure. Blanchard grew up in Chauvin, the son of French-speaking parents who owned a grocery store. Larry learned to butcher in that store. He also loved the French language and enjoyed preserving and maintaining the customs of life on the bayou. An active member of the community, he was a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Once married, the Blanchards owned a seafood dock for a time, and Larry Blanchard worked for Terrebonne Parish government in the roads and bridges department. He recently had decided to semi-retire and had just begun part-time work as a bridge operator in order to be closer to home when Hurricane Rita made landfall. Blanchard worked under supervisor Raymond Legendre from Chackbay. Gail Legendre spoke for her husband, who could not be reached for comment. "Raymond said he's going to miss him. He said, 'I really like working with my partner Larry,' " Gail Legendre said. Marian Palmisano, Blanchard's sister-in-law, had only loving memories of the man who was an accomplished carpenter, musician and baker. "He basically rebuilt their house from the inside out," Palmisano said. One of Blanchard's daughters spoke about her father, but asked not to be named. "He loved to bake and unfortunately we loved to eat it," she said. "He had the touch." Blanchard was a consummate baker, turning out pies as beautiful as they were delicious. He delighted in surprising the family with pumpkin and apple pies, especially. A lifelong music lover, Blanchard was a perfectionist when it came to the guitar. He would squirrel away, practicing each song at length until he could perform it flawlessly for friends and family. The family's collection of classic rock was sizable, and Blanchard particularly enjoyed Bob Seger and Beatles tunes. Recently, he had begun to teach one of his granddaughters to play. Thanksgiving was Blanchard's favorite time of year. His daughter recalled that he started early on the family celebration, preparing some dishes the night before and assuming the role of executive chef in the kitchen all day. The traditional turkey always defined the feast, but Blanchard's recipe was a well- guarded secret. Of the many qualities remembered by family and friends, perhaps the most repeated was Blanchard's devotion to his family. "He made each child and each grandchild believe that they were the most special thing in his life," said Blanchard's daughter.