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f0fs24 cf0 ‘d2Pappy’d3 recalled by St. John school colleagues

By JESSICA DAIGLE

Staff Reporter

GARYVILLE’d0’d0Felix ‘d2Pappy’d3 Andrew LeBouef, who served on the St. John the Baptist School Board for 29 years, died Sunday at his home in Garyville of Parkinson’d5s Disease.

LeBouef, who was 76, will be remembered for his many contributions to the St. John school system, but perhaps most notably for his role in the creation of Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet School.

Often called the ‘d2driving force’d3 for his work with that school, he pushed hard to get an academically superior school built in Garyville. In 2004, the Garyville Magnet gym was named after him. Several years ago, LeBouef was instrumental in obtaining a school for the gym as well.

LeBouef’d5s wife, Yvonne, said that he had fond memories from serving on the school board, and that everything he did was for the kids of the parish.

‘d2I wish he wasn’d5t so sick when they dedicated the gym to him,’d3 she said. ‘d2He didn’d5t really know what was going on, but it would have meant a lot to him.’d3

LeBouef, a native of Convent, was on the board since 1974, and in his earlier years, spent some time in the Air Force, which his wife said he ‘d2thought plenty of that.’d3 His wife also said that he enjoyed the years he spent as a Little League softball coach.

Willie Ochmond, assistant superintendent for the St. John school district, said his first memories of LeBouef are of him as his Little League coach. Ochmond said LeBouef was a simple man who enjoyed fishing and was concerned about people.

‘d2Whatever he did was enough for him,’d3 Ochmond said, ‘d2He did not live extravagantly and did not make much of an income, but he did whatever he could to help people whenever he could.’d3

Ochmond also said that LeBouef’d5s passion for the children and schools was unrelenting.

‘d2He would say, ‘d4I don’d5t care if we go into deficit. If it is for children, we’d5re going to do it.’d5’d3 Ochmond said, ‘d2He didn’d5t speak a whole lot, but when he did, he had something to say.’d3

LeBouef is survived by his wife, Yvonne; two sons, Lionel LeBouef and Michael LeBouef, Sr.; one daughter, Joy Jones; two sisters, Edna Gautreaux and Ruth Gauthier; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

He and is wife were married for 53 years.

‘d2He was a great husband and a great man,’d3 she said, ‘d2It’d5s hard to lose someone that’d5s so wonderful, but I guess the good Lord knows what he’d5s doing.’d3

St. John School Board President Gerald Keller remembered ‘d2Pappy’d3 at the board meeting on Thursday night, describing him as a man who represented everyone.

‘d2He had no party lines, and no community lines,’d3 Keller said, ‘d2All he had was a line that said St. John Parish.’d3