New Iberia"A Mass of Christian Burial will be prayed on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 1:00 P.M. in Sacred Heart Catholic Church to celebrate the life of Raymond Clarence Tatford. Father Steve LeBlanc, Pastor, will celebrate the funeral liturgy, and Mrs. Kent Kramer and the church choir will provide musical selections. Entombment will follow in Holy Family Mausoleum. Mr Tatford was a longtime resident of New Iberia and was a retired owner of Deep Delta Construction Company and Raymond Tatford Excavation Company. He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where he sang as a member of the Senior Choir, Knights of Columbus Council 3452, and a former member of the Catholic High Panther Club. He proudly served his country as a Korean Conflict veteran of the United States Army. Survivors include his loving wife of 52 years, Shirley Simon Tatford; sons, Leander Tatford and wife, Doris of Lafayette, Randal Tatford and wife, Bonnie of Corpus Christi, TX, and Monte Tatford of New Iberia; grandchildren, Pfc. Regan Tatford, currently stationed in Balad, Iraq, Jefferies, Byrnes, and Evan Tatford of Lafayette, and Arielle Tatford of Corpus Christi, TX. Preceding Mr. Tatford in death are his parents, Archie and Edith Cross Tatford; and daughter-in-law, Margaret Tatford. The family will receive visitors at David Funeral Home on Thursday, October 26, 2006 from 5:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M., and a rosary will be prayed at 7:00 P.M. Visitation will continue on Friday fro 9:00 A.M. until service time in the funeral home. Honored to serve as pallbearers will be Julian Champagne, Joseph Cross, Villere Cross, Jefferies Tatford, Byrnes Tatford, and Evan Tatford. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the following: The Sacred Heart Church Building Fund, 2514 Old Jeanerette Road, New Iberia, LA 70563, or The American Heart Association, 312-6C Guilbeau Road, Lafayette, LA 70508. The family wishes to express gratitude for the care, support, and kindnesses given in recent months by Dr. Carl Ditch, Dr. Paul Gulotta, Dr. Darvin Hales, and the staff of Iberia Medical Center 2nd Floor and ICU. David Funeral Home of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.
