Marie B. Prioux

Loreauville—A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted for Marie Lee Bonin Prioux on Saturday, June 27, 2020, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Loreauville.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2020, at David Funeral Home of Loreauville from 8:00 am until 11:00 am service time.

Marie Lee Bonin Prioux, born December 24, 1921, age 98, died June 23, 2020, with family at her side.

In her later years, whenever someone congratulated her on a long life, Marie Lee always replied that she lived long because of her devotion to “God, family, and friends”.

Marie Lee was a lifelong member of St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Loreauville. She served as a member and Treasurer of the Catholic Daughters of America for many years and was a co-sponsor of the St Bernadette troop of the Junior Catholic Daughters during the 1970s.

Marie Lee helped coordinate care for her parents as their eldest child and a support in their later years. She served her children and grandchildren by listening to their chatter and stories, fitting them in beautiful clothes she loved to sew, and serving them comfort food like “golden rice” (fried eggs and rice), fried shrimp and catfish, gumbo, and her family-famous rice dressing. She and husband Frank were companions through life for over 60 years.

Marie Lee always spoke fondly of her friends, and even schoolmates from the 1920s and 1930s remained dear in her heart. For much of their lives, she and Frank kept in touch with the Sellers’ and the McClay’s, two couples with whom they rented a house in 1940s Lompoc, California, during Frank’s military training before he was sent to Europe to fight in World War II. Later in life, she and Frank enjoyed Pokeno games with couples who had also grown up in the Loreauville area, many of whom had been lifelong friends.

Marie Lee made more friends when she returned to work in the 1980s to teach French to elementary-school students in Loreauville and New Iberia through the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL). It is a wonderful irony that, after she and other native Cajun-French speakers were forced to speak only English in elementary schools in the 1930s, Marie Lee taught French to elementary-school children during the 1980s.

One of Marie Lee’s favorite sayings was “And this too shall pass.” Those words were a comfort during hard sad times and a reminder to enjoy and be grateful for easier happy times. Her words will continue to be both a comfort and a reminder to appreciate life to her children and the others she leaves behind. Her last 3 years were spent at Landmark of Acadiana, where she enjoyed saying the rosary in the morning and bingo in the afternoon, with snickers and coffee. She also enjoyed the time spent with residents and staff.

She is survived by her son Lon and wife Sheila Trahan Prioux, daughter Betty and spouse Delma Armstrong, grandchildren Sherry Prioux, Sonya Prioux Carmona and husband John, Lacy John Prioux and wife Roxie Trimble Prioux, great-grandchildren Taylor Douet and Fiancé Holden Poirier and Hayden Frank Prioux, step-great-grandchildren Bryce Lancon, Kelly Gonzales and husband Robert, Kameron Carmona, step great-great-grandchildren Eleanor and Eliot Gonzales and sister and lifelong friend Verna Mae “Sook” Bonin Suard.

Marie Lee was preceded in death by most of the people of her generation and by many family members, including her husband Frank Joseph Prioux, son Gary Eugene Prioux and wife Sheila L Prioux, granddaughter Tonya Marie Prioux, parents Anatole Joseph Bonin Jr and wife Clemence Freyou, brother Leroy and wife Goldie Thibodeaux and their daughter Janell Bonin Broussard, brother Alton Bonin and wife Earline Dugas, and brother-in-law Louis O’Neil Suard Sr.

You may sign the guest registry book and/or send condolences at www.davidfuneralhome.org

David Funeral Home of Loreauville 116 Main Street, (337) 229-8338 is in charge of funeral arrangements.