Lee James Blanchard

Loreauville—A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church located at 116 Main Street with Fr. Barry Crouchet as celebrant with interment in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery to follow.

The family requests that visitation in the church begin on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at 10 a.m. until the time of service

Lee James Blanchard was born on April 1, 1924, to Joel and Elise Guidry Blanchard in Parks, La

Lee passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, at 9:55 a.m. with his two sons at his side.

Lee Blanchard graduated from St. Bernard Catholic School, and briefly attended Spenser School of Business before enlisting in the Army in the Fall of 1942. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the ARMY AIR CORP and attend several training schools becoming proficient as a fighter pilot specializing in P47’s. He was last stationed in Hawaii before being discharged in the Summer of 1946. He attended SLI under the GI Bill and graduated in 1950 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He worked in the oil field industry in South Louisiana employed by Superior Oil Co for 30 years. He retired in 1995 after 45 years of work in his technical field. He spent his retirement years traveling to Colorado with Odette, working weekends on both the Blanchard and Gondron farms, and most recently as a skilled woodworker building furniture for his children and grandchildren. His segmented bowls were well respected for their quality and complex design. His last years were spent on the Blanchard family farm near Parks, working in his woodshop and sharing time with his two boys and their families.

He is survived by his sister Euline Arceneaux, his two sons, Andrew James Blanchard and his wife Darwin of Dallas, Tx, James Lee Blanchard and his wife Deborah of Covington, LA, four grandchildren, Joshua Blanchard, Aimee Pellapone, Wesley Blanchard, Eric Blanchard; seven great-grandchildren, Nicholas Blanchard, Laura Blanchard, Amelia Blanchard, Ian Blanchard, Carson Blanchard, Griffin Blanchard, and Leah Blanchard.

Serving as pallbearers will be members of his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Odette Gondron Blanchard and his parents, Joel and Elise Guidry Blanchard.

To help keep the community safe we will honor the July 13, 2020, Louisiana Mandates. All families and their guests are required to wear face-covering while in the church. Thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented time.

Family and friends may sign the guest register book and/or send condolences at www.davidfuneralhome.org